One Elf's Treasures: Part One
by The Sherman Tank
Summary: Nigel, a forest elf in world full of monsters and elder races, embarks on a treasure hunting journey to find legendary riches hidden away for ages as well as a girl whom he loves. Accompanied by his friend Friday, he faces a challenging adventure to find what no man, elf, nymph, or dwarf had ever found before.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The captain's call woke Nigel from his sleep in the cargo area. Quickly, he moved behind crates so he would not be seen. Having been broke for the longest time, he had become accustomed to this. There was a nicely placed crate beside the doorway to the cargo space on the ship. Noticing the opportune position, Nigel strapped his sword around his waist, threw his heavy sack over this shoulder, and crouched behind the crate he chose. He silenced himself so that his presence in the room became unknown to even the mice that crawled about once more. Seconds later the door opened, and light flooded the room. As the cargo-keeper entered, Nigel made his escape.

Gamul was truly a jewel to the continent. It was the most populated sea port city. The cobblestone streets teemed with wealth. Main Street was filled with shops of weapons, foods, candies, woodworks, and all other of the most successful businesses. The city hall was stereotypically placed at the end of Main Street. Its marble columns and arches decorated with gold and silver symbols and gargoyles set it apart from the already wealthy city. The best of the best trading companies traded here, so this was a rare occasion where Nigel had gotten lucky with his landing.

Nigel had been a treasure hunter for most of his life. He started late for most of his race; most forest elves start their careers at sixty. It wasn't until he was broke that Nigel decided if he was going to roam he should make some money off of it; this was at sixty-seven. At one hundred twenty-three years old, he had become an experienced treasure hunter, and one of the last forest elves. Twenty years ago, the he Elf and Nymph tribes had ruled that nature and history's relics are not to be messed with. Nigel was not part of these; he was a rogue elf. Most of the ruins and treasures lost to the continent of Maple were put under protection by the nymphs and elves alike. For the past twenty years, these conditions made it very hard for Nigel to support himself. He adapted to the heavy forests that made up most of Maple and lived purely off the environment. Finally he had found a temple hidden in a cave that the masses must not have noticed. That is where he found the ancient, bejeweled statue of gold he had slung over his shoulder. He expected big profit for this find.

The weight of the sack became too much for Nigel to support. He found an alleyway where no one had stopped to rest in and claimed a spot to sit down. It was an exceptionally hot summers day, and he was worn from thirst and fatigue after the voyage. He needed to sell his prize soon. On top of that, he was now bored out of his mind. Nigel started listening to the people talking as they walked by. The women talked about the latest fashion things, the nymphs were planning a protest against the lumber industry, and a group of hunters were planning on getting drunk out of their minds later that night. Occasionally he laughed, but nothing was really exciting to Nigel. However his patience paid off, and luck returned to him once more that day.

"…was really furious upon his return. He had been searching for this place for decades now! He finally found the cave on accident yesterday but the statue was gone and fresh footprints had been left behind. No man could have been more dedicated—"

"Excuse me," Nigel had gotten to his feet to get their attention now, "but who is this man you speak of?"

"What business is it of yours?" one of the men jawed back.

"I might know the man who took the statue and I'd like to inform whomever you are talking about."

"What are you willing to pay?"

Hungry, thirsty, and fed up with their shit, Nigel threw the man into the alley and drew his sword to the man's neck. "How about we start with the price of you keeping your throat and you telling me who the man is and where I can find him. Do we have a deal?"

"Mar… Mark Xavier," the man stuttered. "His cottage is down the road to the right of the city hall you can't miss it!"

"Thanks for your cooperation," Nigel sneered as he let go of the man's shirt and put away his broadsword. He began to walk down the alley so that he could avoid the masses of commuters on Main Street. By now, Nigel was on his last nerve and the next person to look at him funny would be made to wish he was never born. He had his morals as a rogue and disliked using violence against other humans, elves, ore nymphs; he enjoyed slaying monsters and beasts he encountered.

Before he turned off the alley into the back street, the sound of shuffling feet stopped him. This was no challenge for Nigel, having dealt with so many traps and monsters trying to sneak up on him. He drew his sword, deflected the blow and moved swiftly behind the attacker, the man he just interrogated. As the man wheeled around, Nigel quickly disarmed him of his sword and knocked him out cold with one hit. "You're footing was way too loud, and you attack with anger and strength instead of calmness and precision. You'll get nowhere with your form. Good day to you, I hope you rot in hell," Nigel muttered as he walked past the unconscious figure sinking down the alley wall. He never depended on strength; his agility and skill always prevailed against strong opponents.

The cottage was surely hard to miss. The cottage walls were caked with dirt and sand, the lawn was weed-infested and overgrown, and not one flowering plant bloomed. All the other wealthy residence kept their places nicely and neatly. Not a weed grew on their lawn or flower out of place. The walls and roofs were clean as if washed a few times each week. Nigel never understood how somebody could put so much into keeping a house looking nice. If he did have a place to call home, he'd spend as much time out of his house as he possibly could. He never intended on settling down. The life of a wanderer kept him entertained and happy.

Nigel pounded his fist on the door. The wood was rotting, giving in and cracking with every time he brought his fist into it, so he thought three knocks would suffice. The door unlatched several times. _All those locks are pointless on a rotting door,_Nigel thought. The locks led Nigel to conclude that Mark must be a treasure collector as well as hunter. When the final lock had been undone, the door was cracked to reveal only an eye in a room of seemingly dark oblivion. "Why are you bothering me?" Mark asked with a raspy, snarly voice.

"I heard you had a recent shortcoming with a certain treasure and may know who has it. If you'd be kind enough to let me inside, I would like to discuss this with you," Nigel replied, surprisingly calm despite his encounter earlier.

"Why should I listen to you, boy? You can't be more than 26."

"I am a forest elf, sir. I'm a rogue and treasure hunter, as well, like you. Also, I was there the day that the Statue of the Aura Bear was stolen. Would you consider inviting me in, please?" The man's eyes widened at the mention of the statue, and his attitude transformed into that of a friendly host. He lit a candle on the table and offered me some tea. It smelled like orc piss, so I passed.

"Now," Mark started, taking his seat across from me at his table, "tell me what you know of this statue. I will pay you for the whereabouts if they please me I swear on the goddess."

Nigel chuckled, "Well, I think I can help you with more than that." He stood up and placed his sack on the table. Reaching into the bag, he revealed the statue, causing the old man to nearly choke on his orc piss tea.

"Damn you! That's the Statue of Jypta! Where did you get that?" He roared, shooting to his feet and launching his stool back into the wall.

"I told you I was at the cave that day. That's where I got it." At this the man drew a knife and lunged across the table. Nigel stepped to the side and grabbed the man's wrist as he drew his broadsword to his neck. Mark backed to the wall and Nigel held the tip of his sword to his throat. Finally accepting defeat, Xavier dropped his knife and sat back down after retrieving his stool.

"Now," Nigel sheathed his sword and spoke, "you will not make out with this so quick. I need payment. I know if you live here in Gamul, you must have sufficient funds. One thousand five hundred coins is my offer for you."

The man let go an awful and wicked laugh, which ended in a coughing fit. "You are out of your damn mind, boy! No way are you getting that much," he snarled.

"Ok, I will take it down two hundred coins. That is my final offer"

"Don't let the door hit you hard on the way out, son. You're going to have to carry that statue a long way to find a buyer of that price."

Nigel sat down, placed his hand on the statue, and looked Mark straight in the eye. "Am I to understand you now have searched for this piece for the past few decades? Now it is in your reach for a short fee compared to your wealth and you'll pass on it? Think of all of those years you're wasting. Last chance is now."

The man was silent. With a nod, Nigel picked up the statue to place it back in his bag. Before he could get it in, Mark stopped him. "We have a deal here, if I may know your name, sir." Nigel smiled at this.

"My name's Nigel. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Mark." The man disappeared into the back room and returned with his payment. Nigel placed four gold bars and a bag of two hundred coins into his bag and slung it over his back. This load weighed significantly less on his back. He and Mark Xavier shook hands one last time. Finally, Nigel was going out the door when he was stopped again.

"You have done me such a favor, Mr. Nigel. Thank you, and please take the other three hundred coins. You've earned it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Nigel walked down Main Street with a smile. He couldn't recall the last time he had such wealth nor could he recall the last time someone had been so generous to him. He was constantly mistaken for a young person by the common men, but he had more knowledge than they had put together. Mark showed this attitude at first, but he changed. His generosity had restored Nigel to his good mood.

He first stopped at the bar and stuffed himself with foods he hadn't gotten the luxury of eating in almost a decade. Thus, seventy-five coins were spent. Next, Nigel decided that his broadsword has lasted long enough and it was time for an upgrade. He traded in his old iron broadsword for thirty gold pieces and acquired a newly made steel broadsword with a soft iron grip and better balance than his last. This drained him of eighty, leaving him with one thousand three hundred seventy five gold coins. He got his hair tamed and cut and cleaned up; it had grown long to his shoulders over the years. This cost fifty gold coins. At the armory, he found a fifty coin leather breast armor piece that he loved, and decided he would change his clothing look to black.

After purchasing the breast piece, he went to the tailor. He found a green silk shirt to go under the breast piece, a black leather belt with a golden buckle, a pair of cotton pants, and a pair of leather boots that had tons more cushion than his current boots. He blew one hundred fifty coins on this attire, but decided something was missing. Finishing the day's purchases, he bought a leather backpack to replace the tattered cotton sack he used to have. By the end of the day, Nigel was new and improved. He went into the night with a thousand one hundred coins left. He decided to live it up at the bar.

Nigel considered that one of the best things about being a forest elf was the tolerance of alcohol. He could drink an amount that would make a grown man sleep for days and only start to slightly tremble. At the bar, he won bets this way and collected 75 gold pieces that paid for the rest of his night. However, the peace can only last so long.

"Hey! Elf Boy!" a man yelled across the parlor. The crowd silenced. Nigel, who was deep in conversation with a group of drunken hunters, silenced and turned to face the man. It was the man he had beaten in the alley that morning. And he had brought three friends, all of which were bigger than Nigel. "I believe we have some unfinished business from earlier, bastard. I never caught your name either!"

Nigel wiped the foam from his last beer off of his mouth. "My name is Nigel. It is not boy, it is not elf, and the name is not 'bastard.' I may appear to be a teenager but I can assure you I'm older than your grandfather."

"Is that so? Well, I guess we'll see how much this ancient artifact can take a beating." He and his friends moved towards Nigel. The hunters stood up at either side of Nigel.

"No, I'll have this on my own." Nigel said, halting the hunters. The man drew a knife and charged him. Nigel ducked under the knife and kicked the attacker in the back, sending him head first into the bar counter. The others charged Nigel with one on each side. Nigel ran to intercept them and slid under their feet, tripping them and sending them flying into their friend, who had just recovered from the bar counter. One man was left and Nigel fought him hand-to-hand. For about a minute, Nigel did nothing but duck and dodge the large man's punches. Finally the man grew tired and Nigel swung at him. Dazed, the man swayed a bit. Nigel took this opportunity to grab him by the shoulders and throw his head into his knee. His opponent was knocked cold on contact. Laughing, Nigel jeered, "Anyone else?" The crowd laughed and applauded as Nigel left the bar.

Having had enough excitement for one day, or so he thought, Nigel headed for the Main Street Inn to get a room for the night. He became aware of footsteps coming up fast behind him. Due to the events that day, Nigel drew his sword without thinking. It stopped at the throat of a girl. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide with fear. Nigel jumped backwards. He studied her and noticed she wasn't just a girl; she was forest elf like him.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am. After today I thought that you were an attacker. I'm sorry." Nigel stumbled and stuttered in his speech. As he was putting away his sword, she spoke.

"Don't worry about it, I understand you've been through a lot today," she responded. "You're not from around here I assume. No one ever really bothers another unless they're from different places." Her voice showed she had already calmed down.

"No I'm not from around here. Actually, I'm from nowhere."

"You're a rogue forest elf then?"

"I sure am." Nigel smiled as he spoke.

"You must have a really nice life then…" The girl sighed as she spoke. Nigel could tell she must still be part of a tribe. Judging by her tone, she wasn't pleased that she was part of one.

"It has its perks," he replied. "By the way, I'm—."

"Nigel," she finished for him. "I saw what you did in the bar. It was impressive. You showed them size or race didn't matter in a fight. I liked that." She smiled at him. Nigel couldn't help blushing; he had liked this girl from the beginning.

"Excuse me, miss, but I never got your name. May I have it?"

"I'm Katie, and it has been a pleasure meeting you Nigel," she said, holding out her hand to shake it. Nigel froze. No girls ever really paid attention to him, and now one came right to him. Katie wasn't bad for a girl, either. She must have been a few inches shorter than him with straight, dark brown hair that went past her shoulders several inches; light, grayish-blue eyes; small lips; and a small nose. Nigel wasn't going to check her out yet; he wanted to be polite. Eventually, he unfroze and gently, yet firmly, shook Katie's hand.

"May I have this walk with you?" Nigel rushed before she could turn away. He bit his lip and blushed again; it was obvious he had little experience with this type of thing.

"I think I'd love to join you," she smiled again, and this time, she winked at him. Nigel laughed a nervous laugh before turning around. Katie walked beside him.

Nigel decided to go to the inn later. The two of them passed it up and kept walking east towards the docks. "So," Nigel finally spoke up, but paused at a loss of what he would say next. Finally he continues, "Where are you from, Katie." Her name reverberated in his mind. _Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl,_he thought to himself.

"I'm part of the Eastern Shore tribe. It's quite a beautiful place to live," Katie responded. "I loved it when I was growing up."

"Loved?" Nigel questioned.

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's become a boring life. Not to mention the tribe laws are so strict that life is barely lived anymore. I don't like it."

"I was lucky enough to break away from that early on. I forgot what tribe I was even part of, I ran away over a hundred years ago."

"I have considered running away. I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to be free. I want to be me, Katie, not and Eastern Shore Forest Elf."

"I know exactly how you are feeling," Nigel smiled and looked at her. Katie looked back at him and smiled to. _Perfection,_Nigel thought.

When they reached the docks, they chose a pier where many fishing boats had docked. Once Nigel and Katie reached the pier, Nigel stood at the edge and asked, "Would you like to sit down, Katie?" Their eyes met. Nigel's face was gentle, but Katie's became tense and nervous.

"Umm… ok, this might seem a little pathetic, but I cannot swim and I am afraid of water. Even though I am of the Eastern Shore Tribe, water has always been my biggest fear." She looked at the ground in shame.

"There's nothing wrong with that. I used to wander mostly in the mountains, but for the longest time I was afraid of heights." Nigel was surprised that his attempt to comfort Katie sounded nice. She looked up at Nigel, who was still smiling, but she looked down again. "Here," Nigel continued, "let's sit farther back then. Our legs don't have to dangle off the edge."

Katie looked at him as her face broke out in a smile from ear to ear. "Thank you, Nigel." He felt his face heat up almost instantly as she spoke his name. "May I help you down?" he asked, holding out his hand. He regretted this immediately, thinking that it was too forward and he was making his liking her too obvious. To his surprise she took his hand and sat down on the smooth, wooden pier. Nigel sighed in relief as he sat down beside her. They sat in silence for several minutes.

Katie broke the silence. "You were very brave tonight, in the bar."

This compliment took Nigel by surprise. First of all, no one ever really complimented him like this. Second, a girl was complimenting him. Third, a girl he liked very much was complimenting him. Subtly, he pinched his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Was I? How?" Nigel questioned. Part of him wanted to keep her talking, but most of him was truly curious. He saw his actions as stubborn and arrogant, not as brave.

"You certainly were, Nigel. You stood up to four guys that were significantly larger than you. When the hunters offered you help, you turned it down. With the elves facing so much discrimination from men lately, it gave me hope. Like I said, you showed that size didn't matter. You showed us all that elves can be just as strong. The city will not soon forget you."

This speech left Nigel frozen. He had no reply. Nobody had ever said something like that to him, so he had absolutely no idea how to react. Not to mention, this is the first Nigel had ever heard of discrimination towards elves. He finally came to his senses and replied, "I'd be happy to do what I did again. The discrimination is completely wrong of men, and I'd show them anytime what and elf is capable of." He turned and smiled at Katie. She had been staring at him and smiling as he spoke. _Could she be interested in me, too?_Nigel wondered. "I might just stick around for a while longer to do just that," Nigel continued.

Katie's smile faded. She bit her lip and stood. Walking to the edge of the dock, she said, "I'm leaving tomorrow. I was finally allowed to live with my cousins at an island north-east of Maple; they have a block for our sector of elves in one of the towns. Hopefully the discrimination is less or nonexistent there. I can't take it anymore. Between that and my tribe barely allowing me to live my life, my life sucks!" Katie's voice rose in anger. This startled Nigel, but he rose and approached her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her gently so she was facing him. A tear was streaming down her face and her lip was quivering.

"Katie," Nigel whispered softly, "it'll get better, I promise." Nigel could never have predicted what happened next. He leaned forward to kiss her; his body took over as his mind panicked. However, this is not what shocked him. As he leaned in, Katie met him halfway, and their lips met. It had happened so fast. When Nigel, whose face was hot with blood flow, pulled his head back, he got a glimpse of Katie, who was also blushing. However, her reaction was more dramatic. She tumbled off of the edge of the dock after feinting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As Katie splashed into the sea, Nigel yelled in panic. Immediately, he dove into the black abyss. When he resurfaced, he saw Katie thrashing and flailing her arms in despair. Her screams were muffled by gargling of the salt water. Without wasting a second, Nigel swam towards her and grabbed her into his arms. He swam to the ladder and hoisted her onto it before himself. When he reached the top, Katie was curled up on the dock, sobbing hard but quietly. Also, Nigel noticed she was shivering violently. He sat next to her, sat her up, and wrapped his arms around her as effort to both warm and comfort her.

When Katie stopped crying, Nigel wiped her tears and proposed, "Do you want to head back into town?"

As they turned onto Main Street, the bell at the city hall building tolled that it was midnight. Katie was wearing Nigel's coat. They were dripping wet from the accident. When they reached the door to the inn, Katie began to take off Nigel's coat when he stopped her. "It's late, the road is dangerous, and you're wet and cold. I can't let you go back to your village alone, Katie."

She gave him a look of sadness, like that of an abused puppy. She was still crying. "Where am I supposed to sleep, then? I didn't bring enough money to stay at the inn."

"I'll pay for you." Katie sat down on a bench inside the lobby as Nigel approached the desk.

"What is the price for two rooms, please?" Nigel asked the innkeeper. "I need one for me and one for the girl over there." Nigel motioned to the bench where Katie sat, looking down at the floor.

"The price is forty coins per room per night," the innkeeper replied. At hearing this, Nigel cursed under his breath. He had only seventy coins left without trading his four gold bars for coins worth the same. He couldn't make this swap here, though.

"Will you take seventy coins for two rooms for one night, please, sir," Nigel pleaded with the man.

"Sorry, but the price is not negotiable."

"Dam it…" Nigel turned away from the counter and knelt in front of Katie. "I only have enough for one room tonight, Katie. If you want, I'll sleep out on the streets and let you have the—"

"No," Katie stopped him. "We will share the room or I will walk back to my village. You saved me tonight. You don't deserve to sleep on the streets, Nigel."

Knowing that arguing would get him nowhere, Nigel returned to the counter and paid for one room. Out of his hospitality, the innkeeper lit a fire in their fireplace and gave them towels to dry off. Once the innkeeper left, they decided to change out of their soaked clothes.

"Turn towards the wall and let me undress and get under the sheets, please, Nigel," Katie said. He obeyed this, for it would be wrong of him not to. Katie took of her skirt and blouse that she had been wearing that day and hung it over the fire. She then dried her body with one of the towels. Only in underwear, she climbed into the bed and covered herself with the sheets. "You can turn around, now," she said once she was ready. She covered her eyes as Nigel did the same with his clothes and dried himself with the other towel before he climbed into bed. They lied in the bed back-to-back as Nigel doused the flame of the lantern.

"Thank you for saving me tonight," Katie spoke up, "and I'm sorry for falling in… that was my first kiss actually." She shifted in the sheets. Nigel was at a loss of what to say.

"You know, in my hundred twenty-three years of life, that was my second kiss. I haven't kissed a girl in over fifty years," Nigel responded. He hesitated mentioning his age though since elves appeared as a young adult for one hundred ten years until approximately one hundred thirty. She might be a lot younger, and depending on her personality, he might lose her. At this point, Nigel liked her a lot. It had only been one night, but he saw something different about Katie: a good difference.

"You're that old?" Katie asked. Nigel was terrified now.

"Yes I am," he hesitated. _It's all over now_, he thought.

"That's really cool honestly," Katie said excitedly, shocking Nigel. "You must be really wise and strong and experienced! You've been a rogue that long? That's really admirable. I'm only ninety five myself but you being one hundred and twenty three years old is so amazing!" She paused. "Sorry, I'm just rambling."

"That's okay," Nigel responded, "you can talk all you want around me. I enjoy listening to you." Nigel's face began to heat up.

"That's the first time someone has said that to me. Most people are annoyed by how much I talk. To be honest, I've talked more around you than I usually do."

"That's outrageous. I could listen to your voice for hours. I—," Nigel hesitated, "—I like your voice."

There was a pause for a few seconds.

"Nigel," Katie started, "That's really sweet. I don't know what to say. Thank you so much."

"I'd say it again if I had to." Nigel paused for a few seconds and decided it was time to say it. Katie seemed interested in him. By now, he was willing to take the chance. "Katie," he started, "I like you in general, really." He took a second and took in what he had just said. A few seconds passed and he added, "a lot."

The silence put Nigel in a state of agony. It had to be half a minute of silence, but to Nigel, it felt like centuries. Finally the silence was broken by rustling of sheets. _Damn it, _Nigel thought, _I've lost her, and she's leaving now. She's getting out of bed, getting dressed, and leaving._

Nigel was wrong again. When he had thought she left the bed, her arms wrapped around him. "I like you a lot, too," Katie finally said, pushing her forehead into his back. Nigel's luck still hadn't run out. At last, he knew he had her hooked. Now, Nigel had to reel her in. He turned in the sheets to face Katie. Their eyes locked: his sky blue to her grey-blue eyes. The bed was small; it was only twin sized and meant for one person. Nigel was on the right with Katie on the left. He wrapped his right arm around her lower back and felt her warm, soft, smooth skin. Katie did likewise with her left arm. Nigel took his free hand and placed it under her neck. Gently, he pulled her head towards his, and their lips locked.

It started as a kiss. Their bodies shifted close enough to feel each other's warmth, and their faces stayed stationary, locked together at their lips. They pulled away. "I think I like you more than a lot." Katie said. She bit her lip as she ran her hand up and down Nigel's back. His face was complete with longing eyes staring deep into hers and a smile that ran from ear to ear.

"I think that I like you more than a lot, too" Nigel chimed in. "However, I don't know if words can describe for me."

"Oh?" said Katie seductively. "How shall you ever show me how much?"

"I'll improvise," Nigel rushed before planting his lips on hers. This time, they kissed with more force, tightening their hold on each other's bodies. They pulled back, and Katie giggled. Both of them were blushing and smiling now. "Getting an idea?"

"You know," Katie started, "it's a very vague idea. I might need more."

"I can certainly provide that. In fact, I will." They shifted closer so their bodies were touching. They kissed several more times, each one harder than the last. Nigel started to feel around her back, rubbing and squeezing as they kissed; Katie did the same with Nigel.

As they were kissing Nigel positioned himself on top of Katie. After a few minutes, they pulled away, and looked into each other's eyes. "We shouldn't do this…" Katie whispered.

"Are you sure?" Nigel questioned. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Well," she started, "We've only known each other for a few hours. It's not right. I like you a lot, Nigel, but I just don't think tonight is… right."

"I'll do as you wish, Katie." Nigel kept smiling regardless if he was going to have fun that night or not. He liked and respected Katie. Sleeping next to her for the night satisfied him enough.

"It's quite tragic we only had one night. I like you a lot and I want to spend more time with you. You are a truly beautiful and special girl, Katie," Nigel flattered her as he positioned himself net to her again.

"Aw," Katie responded, "that's so sweet." She climbed off of him and lied next to him. "You are a really sweet guy, Nigel. I am overjoyed to have met you today. I will never forget you, your gentle voice, your handsome face, your muscular body, or your kind personality. I hope tomorrow isn't good bye forever. You will walk me to the docks, won't you?"

"I'd love to. I want to spend every moment I can with you until you leave" Nigel said, winking and smiling.

"I think I might feel the same. I mean, we've only had one day…" Katie sighed and looked down.

"Come here," Nigel said, lifting his arm. Katie moved towards him, lying into him and wresting her head on his chest. Her arm hugged his body. Nigel wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her close. As they began to drift away to sleep, a question arose in Nigel's mind.

"Katie, are you still awake?" he whispered.

"Barely," Katie replied.

"Where is that island you're going to?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well I'm a lone wolf kind of guy. I don't need to be anywhere at any given time. Maybe one day I can go to that island and see you sometime."

"I'd love that," Katie said, repositioning her head on Nigel's chest. Grabbing the sheets and putting them back on them, she answered "I will be going to the island of Mercator."

Nigel woke up first to the sound of the 6 o'clock bell. The ship leaves at seven, so he decided to wake Katie, too. She was still in his arms, sound asleep. When he looked down, he couldn't help but stare for a second; he didn't stare because she was almost naked, but because she looked pretty and cute in general as she slept; he especially liked her eyes and cute little nose. _What a shame it is that I have to wake her, _Nigel thought. He began squeezing her gently and saying, "Katie, it's six. The ship is leaving soon, honey. Katie?"

Sighing a long sigh and shifting, she began to wake. Her shining grey eyes were finally revealed from behind her eyelids. The first thing she saw was Nigel's face, smiling down at her. "Hey, you," she said, finally coming to her senses.

"Morning, sweetheart," Nigel responded. "We should get dressed."

"You sure you don't want a look before?" Katie asked sarcastically, giving the wink that Nigel so loved.

"No," Nigel laughed, "but I would love a kiss." He planted an innocent kiss on her lips, and she gladly accepted it. "Now, let's get you dressed and on your way to Mercator, shall we?" After receiving a nod from Katie, he asked, "Would you like me to turn away again?"

"I feel comfortable enough to change in front of you. After all, I made out with you and slept with you in my underwear. I don't think it matters," she giggled.

Nigel threw up the covers and climbed out of bed and approached their clothes. "I don't want to get up," Katie whined.

"Then just lie there," Nigel responded as he felt her clothes that hung in front of the fireplace. "You're clothes are dry." Then, he turned around to the bed where she lied on her stomach with her limbs spread across the bed.

"Like the view?" she sung seductively, lifting and wiggling her butt for Nigel.

"Are you capable of behaving, Katie?" He had just gotten into his own pants. "Come over here and get dressed." Nigel rolled Katie and picked her up. She wrapped his arms around his neck as he cradled her in his arms. He stood her up and handed Katie her clothes to put on. She dropped them on the floor and just stared into Nigel's eyes.

"Alright," Nigel sarcastically sighed, "we have time to be a little bit bad." He pushed her down into the bed and wrapped her in his arms. Their tongues danced as their bodies rubbed against each other's. When they finished they dressed each other, taking time to explore a little. Finally, they were done. Nigel threw open the curtains of their room to reveal the clock tower at city hall, which said it was a quarter to seven.

Nigel was staring out the window, mentally reliving last night's events, when Katie slid in front of him. Placing her arms around Nigel's neck, she said, "I just really, really wanted to thank you for last night. Back at home, I was barely noticed. Maybe it was because I didn't like my life there so I wasn't really social, but I don't know. I could tell there was something different about you. You live by your own rules and seem so much happier doing so. I love that about you. It makes you… well… my hero. And I'm sure I won't be the last one to think this. I really like you." At her last sentence, her voice trembled. A tear ran down her face. "But we only had one night together." Finally, Katie broke into messy sobbing. Nigel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. He swayed back and forth as he rubbed her back.

"It's not goodbye forever, you know," he said. "We might see each other again someday.

"What if,"—she choked on her sobbing—"What if we never do?"

"Honey, if I could I'd go with you. However, a passenger ship is harder to stowaway on than a freight ship. But one day, I promise you that I will go to Mercator and I will find you and we will be together happily. I am a treasure hunter, after all. And you are a priceless treasure to me."

Katie's sobs turned into quiet crying now. Nigel pulled back and wiped her tears with a handkerchief he always carried in his pocket. They kiss, but this time was gentle, warm, and wet from tears rather than saliva. At this point, it was a combination of both Nigel's and Katie's tears.

"Here," Nigel said, "take this." He pulled off a ring of his that was fitted with a shiny black stone. "I wanted to give you something of mine so part of me is always with you."

Katie smiled and looked into his eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart," she responded. She took off her necklace now, a gold chain with a diamond hanging from it. "You take this."

Nigel accepted her gift and put it in the pouch on his belt. "Thank you, honey." They smiled at each other and resumed their hug.

"We have ten minutes," Nigel sniffled. "Let's get going."

The streets of Gamul were a busy as ever that morning. Everyone was talking about the mysterious elf that took down 4 big men down at the bar last night. Every time Nigel and Katie heard this, they looked at each other and laughed. They got to the docks just in time for the captain to yell for last call. Nigel and Katie rushed a hug and peck before Katie left. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they waved goodbye, and Nigel, too, had a tear in his eye. When the boat began to disappear into the horizon, Nigel smiled and wiped the tears away with that same handkerchief. "Don't worry," he told himself, "this wasn't goodbye forever."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Nigel sat on a stone bench as he watched the waves of the sea. He had to find money to stay at the inn another night. A thousand gold coins was a heavy and awkward weight to carry around, and a bank is useless to a rogue wanderer like Nigel was. To make matters worse, the sadness of Katie's departure made it hard for Nigel to focus on his thoughts. He could not get her out of his head. After several hours, some kids walking behind him woke him from his trance.

"…a dueling tournament in the city square. My brother entered it. The prize is a generous seven hundred fifty gold coins. That is well enough to please a victor, don't you think?"

Nigel shot to his feet with a smile from ear to ear and the sky blue eyes of a mad man. A sword tournament is just what he needed to get back on his feet.

He walked fast down Main Street. Dodging and weaving through the crowd was fun to Nigel, and he enjoyed doing it. About two thirds of the way down the street, his life changed forever.

Nigel had only about 15 steps to go before she ran into him. He felt something hard hit the left his head. "Damn!" he yelled on the impact, which through him into the wall. He would have thought someone threw a stone at him, however they object screamed as it ran into him. He looked down where the object would have landed, but it was not an object. "It" was a she.

Nigel found himself looking down at a wood nymph, one of the smallest intelligent races on the planet. Most nymph races, such as the ocean and wind nymphs, were approximately Nigel's size. Nigel decided she must be a wood nymph due to her small size and wings on her back. Nigel opened his mouth to speak to her, but before he got a word out, she took flight into the nearest alley. She was running from something, and Nigel was going to find out. He began running after her.

Speed was one thing Nigel was always proud of himself for. His long, strong legs helped him to outrun the nymphs and elves he had encountered on his treasure hunting attempts as well as the monsters he fought. With his speed, Nigel was able to keep up with the wood nymph. She was putting in an extreme effort to run from whatever she was running from. Nigel lost track of the number of turns they made in her escape pattern.

Finally, she flew to a rooftop and perched on the edge, keeping watch. He hid before she could see him. Knowing she would run from him, Nigel stealthily made his way around one building to climb up the building the wood nymph was on. He climbed slowly up the building; the half-ass way it was put together with stones sticking out made his climb easy. Once at the top, he drew his sword and spoke.

"Um, hey," Nigel began, softly so she would not run away. The wood nymph spun so quick she nearly threw herself off the edge. As soon as she saw him, Nigel dropped his sword as a sign of peace. "Listen. I don't want to hurt you. You ran into me on the streets and you looked distressed, as if you were running from something. I want to help you. My name is Nigel. How may I address you, miss?

She hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out if she could trust Nigel. "My name is Friday," she eventually said. "Yes, I am running from something. A girl, two monsters, and three men were chasing me."

"Why were they chasing you?"

"I don't know if I should—," Friday replied before she was interrupted by a voice below.

"Hey, girl! Get your tiny ass down here or we'll get you ourselves!" The girl had a sharp cruelty in her tone. Nigel decided she must be whom Friday was running from. "Are you hard to hearing? I said get the fuck down here!"

"Never, you bitch." Friday shouted back, her voice firm and courageous, despite the fact she had been running from her.

"I guess we'll get you ourselves then. Whatever floats your boat."

Nigel picked up his sword and went to Friday's side. He placed the flat of his blade in front of her body, coming between her and the aggressors below. "You will not touch her. As long as I'm around, you're going to have to go through me first." Nigel had a wicked look in his eyes. He noticed a couple men back up a few steps before he recognized who they were. They were the men he beat at the bar last night, and they had backed up because they knew their place Nigel had put them in. The girl only laughed.

"Who are you to come between me and my business? I want that girl and I will have that girl despite your protectiveness," she sneered. _Wow, _Nigel thought,_ what a typical brat. Humans have such arrogance._

"Try me," Nigel called back. The girl and her monster companions broke down the doors and entered. Her men gave Nigel a nervous look before turning around and going back. "Three down, three to go," Nigel said.

"You don't understand!" Friday said to Nigel in a panicky voice. "Just run, please. I'll handle this myself."

"No, ever since you ran into me this became my problem. I said I'd protect you. I'm an elf of my word."

"Then you are running with me. I will run away if you fight. It'll be in vain, and her monsters are too strong."

Despite Nigel's pride, he decided to give in. "Alright, get in my bag," he said. Eager to escape, Friday obeyed. After she was secure, Nigel backed up and made a running jump off the edge of the building. He used his sword to ride a rope down to the alley. Once grounded, he slid his sword into his belt and began running. He made it to Main Street when they heard the girl and her monsters yell after them in frustration. This made Nigel laugh.

They made it to the docks. Nigel made a right onto another rode and hid in the trees. Silent, Nigel and Friday waited. After about five minutes, they decided they had lost the pack.

"You can come out now, Friday," Nigel whispered.

Friday emerged and took a few deep breaths. "Finally!" she said, "I could barely breathe in there. Damn."

"Well I'm sorry I didn't buy this bag knowing I'd be carrying a little girl—,"

"Stop right there, elf boy. My. Name. Is. Friday. I am not 'little girl.' I am not 'mini.' My name is Friday. You will call me Friday!"

"Okay, okay. I apologize. Anyway, start talking. What is the reason they were chasing you for?"

"They know that I know about King Nole's treasures." This rang a bell in Nigel's head. "I told them I knew where they were. I was going to help them hunt the treasures, but they were cruel and abusive. We were set to leave on the ship today, but I ran away. That's when I ran into you."

"You know where these treasures are?" Nigel interrogated.

"Well," Friday paused, "I don't know the exact—,"

"Shhh," Nigel stopped her. He heard them coming. He placed his hand on his sword and they waited in silence. Finally, they appeared around the corner. They were walking fast and cursing under their breath. When they finally disappeared again, Nigel told her to continue.

"I was saying, I don't know the exact location, but I know the general location of them. It's a vast collection of treasure in a hidden palace. Many treasure hunters have pursued it. Most give up. Others go insane from the search. Some get close. Unfortunately, those that get close disappear off the face of this planet, never to be seen again."

"I never believed in folk tales," Nigel said, "but it sounds like a good adventure to me. Where are they located as far as you know?"

"They're on an island not too far from here."

"Can you name the island, Friday?"

She paused for a moment, trying to remember. "They're somewhere on the island of Mercator."

Nigel's heart stopped. He almost fell over. He almost cried. His mind was racing. _Katie,_ he thought, _Katie is there._

"I am a treasure hunter," Nigel told Friday. They had left the trees after making sure the clan that was after Friday was long gone. She was sitting on his shoulder as they walked down the shore. The sun was setting now. "I haven't had a good adventure in a while. I think I might want to hunt for these. Would you like to come with me, Friday?"

She looked into his eyes, as if trying to figure him out. Nigel wanted this badly. One, it was a hunt for him, and a damn big one given it could be anywhere on the island. Two, he'd have competition. Nigel loved competition. It gave his hunts some comic relief, and he was always ahead of the competition. Finally, he had two treasures to hunt on that island: the legendary treasures and Katie, his hearts own gold.

"Yes," Friday finally answered, "I'd absolutely love to accompany you, Nigel. You don't seem like the abusive kind. After all you have sworn to protect me," she giggled at saying this.

"Yes, I believe I did. Now we have one problem to solve."

"What is that?"

"How do we get to Mercator? The ship only comes once a month and we'll never make it to the next Maple port in time."

Friday smirked and said, "I've got that covered." The sun was about set now. It was dusk. "We should wait until morning, since its near dark."

"Agreed," Nigel replied. "We should go deeper into the forest for safety precautions. We are being hunted, after all."

"You know what this means?" Friday asked with a smirk. "It means we're the number one treasure on their list." Friday and Nigel laughed. "Let's get going."

They began walking into the forest. When the sun was fully hidden in the horizon, Nigel picked a tall, full oak; pulled out his knife; and began to climb. Once he was in reach of the lowest branch, he put his knife away and planted himself in the second lowest branch. He lied in the outer branch, giving himself a comfortable bed of leaves.

"Stopping there? Scared of heights, are we?" Friday teased.

"Scared of falling," Nigel corrected her. "I always have been. Twenty years ago I couldn't climb a tree without feeling sick. I've gotten better."

"You're truly a strange one. A forest elf is afraid of heights," Friday laughed.

"And you're a wood nymph that can't avoid obstacles in flight?"

"I'm sorry about that by the way," she apologized. "Your head's bleeding a little. Let me help that." She flew off for a few seconds, returning with mint leaves. She used them to heal Nigel.

One thing that divided nymphs from elves was their inborn magical abilities. Most nymphs are born of elves without magical abilities while others are born straight out of the environment that their species is named after. Only a few can be born this way. Since the ancient elves were born from the environment per legend, all nymphs that can be born from elves can also be born from the environment. Not all nymphs that can be born of environment, however, can be born of elves. Obviously, the wood nymph is one. You will not find an elf that is as small as Friday anywhere in Maple or beyond.

"Finished," Friday sung as she hovered above Nigel. He reached up and felt his ear. It was as good as new, not a scab left.

"Wow, thank you. You did that very well," Nigel said. Friday waved her hand, and a branch grew from the limb Nigel had chosen. After creating a nice seat for herself, Friday sat down next to Nigel. "Who was that girl, by the way?"

"Ugh, that was Kayla," Friday responded, sounding disgusted. "She's a bitch."

Nigel laughed, "Yeah, I picked up on that. Do you think she'll be going after the treasures without you?"

"You can count on it. She is so hungry for wealth and power that she'd definitely go after them anyway. She won't be our only competition either. I don't know names, but the island is always crawling with hunters, men and elves alike."

"You never told me how we're getting there."

"I have a friend that can hook us up. Don't worry 'bout it. Trust me."

"Well, trust is hard when I just met you, but I'll try." Nigel shifted on the branch. "We should get to sleep. We're leaving in the morning?"

"Yes, sir! I can't wait I'm really excited. Thanks for taking me with."

"Don't mention it. Good night, Friday."

Friday made her tree twig into a thicker bed of leaves. "Good night, Nigel."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nigel woke to Friday poking him on his forehead. "C'mon," she whined, "we gotta get to Matt."

"Who's Matt?" Nigel asked.

"He's our ticket to Mercator." They snacked on some leftovers Nigel saved when he was in town. When they finished, Nigel hopped down from the tree. Friday flew down and sat on his shoulder. "We need to go that way," Friday said, motioning away from the town.  
"Um, isn't the city that way?" Nigel questioned.

"Precisely, and Matt is that way."

They must have walked for a mile before they met a huge oak tree. The trunk was twice as wide as Nigel was tall and stretched far into the heavens, almost passing the clouds. It was healthier than all the trees surrounding it. Many holes were carved into the trunk. "This is where I've been staying," Friday informed Nigel. "It's not my home, but the nymphs here are really kind and Matt takes really good care of us."

"Where is he?" Nigel asked, getting anxious.

"He's near the top of the tree."

Nigel became dizzy as he looked towards the top. "I'm gonna be sick climbing this thing…"

"I'll be sure to warn my nymph sisters then. Start climbing, Nigel. I want to visit a little. I'll catch up with you later. Be sure not to put your foot or hands into the holes use the branch stubs, please. And don't use that knife while climbing.

Nigel shot one more nervous glance up the tree, swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and started up the tree. Most nymphs just gave him a strange look, others ignored him, and occasionally he got an embarrassing "Hey, cutie" from some others. When he made it to the lowest branch that could support his weight, he stopped and rested. He made the mistake of looking down once, and doubled over, gripping the branch and heaving his breakfast down into the forest floor.

"Get a grip on yourself, elf boy," Friday laughed, now hovering behind him. Nigel closed his eyes waiting for his head to stop spinning.

"This has gotta be hell," he said between deep breaths. Nigel continued his climb, not looking down again. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. "So if this isn't your home, what do you call home?"

"I'm from the island of Mercator, actually. That's how I know so much about the treasures. Maybe we can visit my home while we're there."

"How'd you end up in the continent?" Nigel questioned.

There was silence.

"Friday?"

"Can we not talk about that right now, please?" Friday insisted, her voice trembling as if she was on the verge of tears. Nigel couldn't disagree.

As he climbed, a huge nest came into view. It was a sheltered nest, taking the shape of a hollowed sphere. "What's that?" Nigel asked.

"That is where Matt stays," Friday responded.

"Um, what is Matt?"

"I'll leave that to your own imagination and then to your own surprise." Friday said. She had calmed down now and was back to her normal self. Finally, they made it to the nest. Nigel stopped on a branch to catch his breath. He had mixed feelings about that nest; he didn't have a clue what he'd find.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," Friday urged. She seemed super excited. Once Nigel was on his feet, she flew into the nest. Hesitating for a moment, Nigel followed.

Several covered candles lit the interior of the nest. It was cushioned with wool and guarded by armored wood nymphs with needle like weapons. Nigel suspected they were poisoned; wood nymphs were very effective protectors of their home when they needed to be. A massive shape took up the middle of the nest, and his eyes grew wider than ever before. A huge falcon took up residence in this nest. It gazed upon him. "This is Matt," Friday chimed.

"Greetings, Nigel, elf of the forests. It is my pleasure to meet you," Matt said.

"A…. a…," Nigel stuttered, "a talking, fifteen foot falcon!?"

"Please," it said in a booming voice, "call me Matt."

"Well," Nigel began, "it's a pleasure to meet you, too, Matt. I've surely never met anyone like you." He had a nervous tremble in his voice as he spoke. Matt boomed a laugh at Nigel's last comment. Startled, he stumbled back, falling into the woolen floor.

"Friday, why did you bring the elf all the way up here?"

"We needed your help with something. We'd like to get to Mercator A-S-A-P but the ship has left and only comes once a month. We would much appreciate it if you could help us, Matt." Friday spoke with such confidence. _She's tiny_, Nigel thought, _and she isn't scared the least bit of a gigantic falcon that could swallow her in one gulp. How…_

"I have some payment if you'd like it, sir." Nigel spoke up shakily.

"How much?" asked Matt.

"Four gold bars, each worth two hundred fifty. So in all, I can give you a thousand gold coins for the flight."

"Well that's a mighty generous offer!" Matt boomed. "I'll take you there, Nigel and Friday."

The wood nymph guards enlarged the opening to the nest and Matt flew out, perching himself on the branch. "Get on my back," the falcon commanded. Nigel did so. Before they took off, they noticed a disturbance below.

"Hey! Any of you seen a wood nymph named Friday?" It was Kayla. _So she was still searching_, Nigel figured. Below, Kayla cracked a whip against the trunk of the tree several times. "Answer me!" she yelled.

"Hold on tight, Nigel and Friday," Matt said. After he gave them time to do so, he jumped down, gliding to the ground and landing hard on the ground next to Kayla and her minions. "Who dares to disturb my humble village?" His voiced boomed loud, shaking the earth beneath his talons.

"And who are you to ask, dick? Just answer—." That was all Kayla got out before Matt created a gust with his wings, knocking her and the monsters back.

"That will be the last word you utter around this tree of peace. This is your last chance to leave," Matt demanded. Kayla got up and glared into Matt's yellow eyes. She took a few steps then spoke.

"You two thought you'd get away," she said, laughing a maniacal laugh. She then spun around, releasing several throwing knives from her fingers. Matt caught them all in his left wing and shook them out as if she threw a couple pebbles at him.

He then laughed, saying, "Fuck you, bitch," between laughs. He swooped at Kayla and her minions, scooping them up in his talons. He flew above the trees. Nigel was gripping as hard as he could to the feathers on Matt's back. They were heading for the ocean. That was all he noticed before he closed its eyes; he thought it would be quite disrespectful to heave up whatever he had left onto Matt's back.

Once they were over the ocean, he heard Kayla and the monsters scream. He looked down as they fell to the sea, splashing when they met the surface. This made Nigel laugh, shaking off a lot of the tension. The sat up and looked around. This isn't that bad, Nigel realized. He looked back, watching Kayla and the shoreline disappear. Friday was on Matt's head, carrying on casual conversation.

"Hey, Matt," Nigel began, "how are you a fifteen foot talking falcon? Is that a race I never knew of?"

Matt laughed. "No I am probably the only one. I was a forest elf like you once. This falcon form was a lesson and a mistake."

"Can you tell me about it?" Nigel was interested in his story. After all, one didn't come by a talking falcon every day.

"Well, I went to Mercator myself about 30 years ago hunting for the same treasures you are. I ran into an elderly woman. She could tell I was hungry as if she read my mind and offered a meal. It turned out that she was a witch. The wicked bitch asked me what my wish was, and I said I always wanted to fly. The last thing I remembered was her telling me, 'Be careful what you wish for.' I woke up in a tree as a falcon. Once I noticed everyone began to hunt for a big falcon as well as the King's treasures, I flew back to Maple and chose this tree as residence. The wood nymphs accepted me, and we lived together. They kept me hidden and protected there, so that's where I've been. Oh, and now I remembered that for my safety I can't drop you off near civilization, but I will drop you on a pretty scenic mountainside."

"So there is a witch on the island?" Friday asked.

"I think there is a wizard, too," Matt replied.

"This is going to be fun," Nigel said. He was excited for this adventure. There wasn't another hunt quite like this one. He never had much competition before, never left Maple, and never had such a high amount of prospective wealth as a prize. He was thrilled and dying of anticipation.

"There it is!" Friday rejoiced. The island was a crescent shape formed around a volcano. Many villages were near the shores. He spotted two towns and a city in the middle of the crescent. Forests covered the rest until the mountains began at the foot of the volcano. They flew over the island's forests and landed on a mountainside. They dismounted the giant falcon. Nigel felt confident. The flight had made him much more comfortable.

"Thank you so much, Matt. I'll remember you when I get those treasures." Nigel's smile reached both ears.

"I wish you luck, Nigel. I've become good at reading people, and I have decided you are a pretty respectable elf. I hope you find them." If he didn't have a beak, Nigel suspected Matt was smiling. "I should get back to the tree. Farewell, Nigel and Friday." With this, the elf-bird took flight, and quickly disappeared into the horizon. It was mid-afternoon. A statue of Goddess stood to the left of a cave entrance. Nigel didn't know what it was, but something felt off about the area.

"Let's get going?" Nigel proposed. Friday agreed and perched on Nigel's shoulder as they entered the cave.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Nigel pulled an unlit torch and lit it by dousing it with oil (he stole it from the inn) and banging rocks together to create a spark. The cave was definitely naturally caused. The floor was never level, and the cave was filled with ores that were left untouched. None of them mattered to Nigel. Up ahead, another cave began. This time a sign was beside it.

_Woe and death unto those who step into this land._

"That's encouraging," Friday said in a nervous tone.

"Is something wrong, Friday?" Nigel asked her.

"I just never was fond of big caves like this."

"Well it has to let out somewhere. Matt must have known where it was that he dropped us."

"The talking is making me even more nauseous. Please, just keep walking so we can get out of here soon." Nigel stopped talking and entered the arch way. This part of the cave was undoubtedly manmade. The floor was for the most part level, the sides were straight, and the slopes were arranged into slopes. A sure piece of evidence was the chests left here, which were long ago dug up and looted. However, Nigel found a few gold coins in some of the chests. To his surprise, he found a plant with green leaves and pellet-sized, red berries.

"Uh, Friday, what is this?" Nigel questioned, picking it up. He realized it probably wasn't the best idea to touch the leaves of an unknown plant.

"That's actually a healing plant native to only Mercator. It has great restorative abilities, especially when used at the hands of a nymph. Since that is what I am, keep it. On this island, I can assure you it will come in handy." Nigel wondered about this last part that Friday said. _On this island, I can assure you it will come in handy._

"Is this island that dangerous that we will need it?" asked Nigel, who had found a stone spiral staircase and was making his way up.

"To say Mercator is a dangerous place would be an understatement," Friday giggled.

"This is going to be fun, then." Nigel was smiling wide again. He had a long, dangerous, competitive, challenging hunt ahead of him. Nigel could never once dream of something this amazing.

"So what makes it so—," Nigel could not finish the question. He had not been paying attention to the ground he walked on and stepped dead center onto a pressure plate. A gigantic boulder began rolling towards them.

"Run!" Friday shouted.

"What did you think I would do?!" Nigel retorted. "Get in my bag!" After she got in, Nigel dropped the torch and began to sprint, gaining distance from the rock. There was a hole up ahead and a chest ahead of it on a platform of rock. When he got to the hole, Nigel made a running leap to the chest. Unfortunately, he came up short and found himself clinging to the edge, dangling over darkness. As the rock gained speed coming towards them, Nigel decided it was better to take his chances than end right here, squashed by a giant boulder. Closing his eyes, he let go of the edge and plunged into darkness.

They fell for several seconds with no stopping. Then, Nigel crashed through a wooden platform and crashed into a river. The wood remains floated, so he grabbed onto the biggest one and rode it down the river. To his left, he saw many statues and a tiled floor. It was completed with locked doors. It disappeared as they went down the river. It sped up, going faster and faster as they went on. "Stay put, Friday, and hold on!" Nigel yelled. He could see daylight ahead. However, there was no continuing river. It was a waterfall. "Hold on tight!" Nigel repeated, bracing himself and closing his eyes.

They met the exit and were launched out into the land. The waterfall went into a hole and continued underground. For Nigel and Friday, they were hurling towards the earth at rapid speed. On impact, Nigel was knocked out cold.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Nigel woke up on a bed of straw. He wasn't sure where he was exactly. When he tried to open his eyes, the light hurt his head too much, so he lied there with his eyes closed, groaning due to pain. The voices in the room were muffled at first, but as time went on the talking became clearer. Friday was there with a man and young girl he didn't recognize.

"Let him rest," the man said. "He took a hard fall and you guys are welcome as long as you want."

"With all due respects, sir, I don't want to stay. We have things to do he needs to get up. Nigel! Nigel, wake up!"

Nigel moaned in pain. The yelling worsened his headache. "Wait, I know what to do!" Friday informed them. She must have gone into his bag and taken the plant. She applied it to his head using her magic and the pain slowly left until it was barely noticeable. Nigel opened his eyed.

They were in a hut. This must be one of the villages he saw on the shores. There were various animal skulls on the walls and fur rugs on the floor. There was a fire source in the middle of the hut with a pot hanging over it. Shelves were filled with various pots and statues. Finally, he noticed the people.

The man and girl were heavily dressed in fur… no… the fur was theirs. They resembled a mix between a bear and human with dark brown hair. Nigel had found some information on tribes of these people before. They were referred to as bear men in the treasure hunting trade. These beings were notorious for their hospitality and civilized manner.

Nigel sat up now. "Thank you for taking me in," Nigel finally said.

"Don't thank me," the man laughed. "My daughter found you on her walk. I am the village chief here, by the way. Welcome to the village of Massan."

"It is a pleasure to be here, sir. Thank you, again." Nigel got to his feet, shook the chief's hand, and walked out the door into the village with Friday on his shoulder.

The inhabitance of Massan was a lively group. Everywhere, they were conversing and laughing. His long coat was tattered and ripped in several places. He had a slight bump on his forehead and scratches on his face. The fall had taken a toll on him, but it didn't hurt his confidence or excitement of the journey. He engaged in conversation with a Massan bear woman who was walking towards him and asked her where he could find an inn and store. Once he found out what he wanted to, he went to the shop.

The shop was small but good enough for the village. It had various goods on shelves that lined the walls, such as food and other necessary supplies. One table on the side was stacked with that same plant he found in the chest.

"What is this?" Nigel asked.

"That's a restorative plant that grows only on Mercator. It's called an eke eke plant. I'm not sure how it got its name but there you go," the shopkeeper explained. Nigel purchased a few of them along with some food with the coins he found in the cave. His next stop was the inn. After he purchased a room for the night, he went out into the village and knocked on the chief's hut.

"Welcome back, Nigel and Friday," the chief answered. "How can I help you?"

"What do you know about the treasures of King Nole?"

"Oh, you must be another treasure hunter. Personally, I have no idea. But I know someone who does. Down the road outside of our village, there is a cave opening. It's our waterfall shrine. A wise old man lives within and he might know something about it. I don't tell this to everyone, so keep his existence quiet, okay?"

"I sure will. Thanks for your help, chief."

Nigel headed out of the village to find the waterfall shrine. Upon exiting the town, he saw a tribesman running back towards the town. "The damn Gumi tribe struck again. They broke our bridge!" he exclaimed, and began towards the town again. Nigel was puzzled for a minute, but he put it in the back of his head and continued on.

He arrived at a crossroads. A sign pointed North towards Massan, West towards the Waterfall Shrine, and South to the Gumi tribe. Nigel shot a glance down the Gumi path to find the wooden bridge across the stream was shattered. Once he had seen it, he continued towards the Waterfall Shrine, since for now it was not his problem.

"This is when it gets exciting, Friday. This is it," Nigel said laughing in excitement.

"This isn't going to be an easy quest, Nigel. You're being arrogant and I disapprove," Friday responded. "No one knows anything for sure about the treasures. All they have are historical scrolls and circumstantial evidence, nothing to give a true lead."

"Whatever you say, Friday, but I know that I have been in the same situation as before." Nigel thought for a second. "I guess you're right though. I am being a little arrogant and it won't get me anywhere."

"You're damn right it won't. Be modest and humble. Don't place high expectations though."

They passed the waterfall they had fallen out of. It was a high fall. Nigel was lucky to still be alive.

"There's the entrance," Friday pointed out. The front of the cave was decorated with marble pillars and a marble archway. They stepped inside to a hall of iron statues decorated with jewels. Nigel would never take statues from a shrine; he found it just plain wrong. The cave became complicated with a few dead ends, almost like a maze. Finally, they found a locked door.

Laughing, Nigel said, "No locked door can keep me out!" He moved to kick it down, but the door didn't budge. After several tries, Nigel quit, saying, "Well, I guess some can… sorry for my arrogance…"

"Well," Friday began in a scolding tone, "it's just another thing that's gonna get in your way, elf boy. Get. A. Grip."

"There might be a key somewhere hidden so only Massan could find it. Look for loose bricks or hidden doorways or even plates in the floor. They wouldn't set traps in a shrine, after all. You look down here and I'll look up the stairs." Nigel and Friday split up, looking for a way into that door. Nigel searched the upstairs room and found a loose slab of bricks on the floor. Nigel drew his sword and pried the slab out of the floor, revealing a locked chest. Locked chests meant nothing to Nigel, for he could easily dispose of the lock with his sword. He was used to doing this by now. Inside the chest, too perfectly, he found a key. Before leaving, he took the key, closed the chest, and put the slab back where he had taken it out.

"Friday!" Nigel called, coming down the stairs. "I found a key!"

"I found something as well," she replied, flying towards Nigel. "There is a pressure plate in the floor, going into a room below. There are two statues that block a doorway, but they are stuck in the stone and won't budge even by the likes of you."

"Maybe there is something beyond that door then. C'mon, Friday, we'll figure this out." The key unlocked the door, which retracted upwards pulled by chains. This old guy must be pretty skilled to have set up all of these obstacles. The door revealed a room with two hallways on either side.

"I'll go left and you'll go right?" Friday proposed. Nigel agreed and took the hallway on the right side of the room. At the end was a pressure plate. He stepped on it, and gears and chains moved below his feet. Nigel became nervous, but nothing of a trap went off. Taking a deep breath, he went up the hallway back into the main room. Friday returned up her hallway not too long after carrying and eke eke plant. Nigel put it in his bag and the companions returned to the unlocked part of the shrine.

"Where is the pressure plate, Friday?" Nigel asked when they were out of the locked room.

"Over here in the corner." Friday led Nigel to the plate. He stepped on the plate, and a slab slid across the floor, revealing a staircase. They went down into an area of the cave filled with streams and rivers. They crossed a few bridges and came to a staircase. "This is where the statues were blocking," Friday informed Nigel.

"The plate I stepped on upstairs must have moved them," replied Nigel. "I heard something move below me." They took the stairs up and entered an empty room with a door ahead of them. It was blocked by iron bars. In the center of the room, there was another pressure plate. Nigel stepped on it, locking the door behind them and opening the one in front of them. The room was completely black.

"I'm sorry Nigel," Friday whimpered, "but I can't go in there. I told you I hate caves and its dark in there…"

"It's fine. I'll be back for you, ok?" Nigel assured her.

"I'll be waiting. Good luck, Nigel" A smile shown across her small lips as she wished him luck. He walked in and was immersed by darkness. He took a step, and a stone slab came down between the partners, separating them. For a moment, Nigel panicked. He'd never had a companion for a hunt before. He'd hate to lose her here. After a few deep breaths, he knew he had to keep hope. He walked ahead to find a barred barrier to the next hallway. When he pulled on the rusty iron bars, he triggered a mechanism that lit a chandelier on the ceiling. He noticed two stone doors were opening on each side of the room, and a sound of heavy breathing beasts filled the room.

Nigel drew his sword, not knowing what to expect. Four creatures came out; they were orcs. Orcs were truly one of the ugliest sons-of-bitches on the face of the planet. Their bodies, almost twice as tall as a man's, were constructed of mainly thick bones, tons of muscle, and veins that stuck out of their skin. Their skin was the same as a human's but tougher. Their faces were like a deformed face of a man, with large noses, no lips, abnormally protruding brows, thick eyebrows, and pointed ears like those of elves and nymphs. They weren't at all intelligent or civilized and were known to live in packs, taking up residence in caves. The most intelligence they possessed was to make clubs from tree branches. However, these orcs were put here by someone since these orcs were armor-clad and hidden behind mechanical doors. Nigel figured they were meant to protect the man of the shrine.

One charged at Nigel, flailing his club rapidly. Nigel ran at him. After dodging the swing and sliding past his legs, he turned and slid his sword through the back orcs neck. The orc collapsed and Nigel pulled his sword out and pointed it at the other three, daring them with his blood-covered sword to come at him. The good thing about these monsters was their slow reaction time.

The next challenger approached Nigel and swung his club downward at him. To dodge the club, Nigel leapt backwards. Once the club hit the ground, he lunged at the orc, planting his sword into its left eye and into what little brain it possessed. In its dazed state, Nigel slit its throat, and its dark red blood spilled out onto the floor.

The two remaining orcs charged together, their clubs at the outside of their formation and ready to swing. Nigel saw their obvious plan: sandwich him between the blows of their clubs. The forest elf's next move was his most daring yet. He charged back at them and dove over the swings. The clubs missed him by less than an inch. Nigel's own plan worked over theirs: dodge the blows so they take out each other's legs. His clever plan is exactly what happened. As they bellowed in pain, Nigel finished them off with his sword, bringing a silence to the cave room once more.

A key hung around one of the orcs' necks. Nigel took the key and inserted into a slot to the right of the barred barrier. The slab was removed from the entrance and the barrier was retracted. Friday's high pitched screaming filled the room when she saw the wasted orcs on the floor.

"Nigel, you're ok! I was worried sick!" The wood nymph hugged Nigel's arm tight. "Oh, I'm sorry," she giggled, releasing Nigel's arm, "I got a little carried away."

"Don't worry about it," Nigel laughed, "and don't worry so much about me. This is my life."

"I can't help it. There's a door at the end of the hallway! Look!"

Nigel laughed. "I see it, Friday. Let's go."

This door was just a normal door you would find on a house. There was no lock or trap to it. It was just a door with hinges and a handle. They opened it to find a small scaled library and an old man with wispy white hair sitting at a desk.

"Welcome, hunter. You passed!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Uh, what do you mean by 'you passed'?" Friday interrogated with a stern and concerned tone.

"The hidden key, the dark room, and the orcs were tests I laid out decades ago!" the man replied. "You are the first beings to ever pass them! Many hunters have come seeking what advice I have on those legendary treasures, but they give up on the challenges. By passing these tests, you displayed persistence, cleverness, courage, strength, and resourcefulness. By passing these tests, I can deem you worthy of my information."

"Oh, please, sir, don't tell the boy that. It'll go to his head," Friday retorted, giggling. The old man laughed, and Nigel rolled his eyes.

"Please, call me Prospero. And you two are?"

"I'm Nigel, and she is Friday."

"Well then, Nigel and Friday, would you like to know the information that I have discovered over the years? I have found advice, history, and legend that no other hunter has gotten to use before. It'll give you the edge that no one else has."

"Well," Nigel began, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want it."

"Okay, here it goes," Prospero said, pulling out some papers that Nigel believed to be his notes. "Per history, King Nole ruled all of Maple from this island in the city of Mercator. He had begun the persecution of elves and nymphs. Besides this genocide, he ruled in total control and zero-tolerance tyranny. After three decades under his reign, an uprising was inevitable. He took all his wealth and hid it, along with himself. During the war, many soldiers were sent here. Since the war was mainly on the continent, it is easy to assume these soldiers came to protect the treasure. Per legend, this wealth and the king himself are hidden on this island. Destel, a village of dwarves on the west shore, had in their history that royal guard kidnapped half of their population at around the same time. The forests of this island are full of the nastiest monsters, so to cut across would be a fool's death wish. I recommend going through Gumi, to Ryuma, to Mercator, to Verla, and getting to Destel from there. There will be competition, and the monsters become more gruesome if you start at Massan and go clockwise, so be warned. Finally, be conservative with your trust. The best people in appearance can be the worst behind the scenes."

"Thank you, Prospero, but is there a way around Gumi since there is a conflict between Gumi and Massan?"

"I'm afraid there is not a safe or easy route anywhere else. Explore the towns, for they all have their own clues hidden within. You are a skilled hunter, Nigel the forest elf, I can tell. I wish luck to thee, and I welcome you back whenever you need advice. God speed, Nigel and Friday. I hope you can get around the conflict of the tribes. If possible, try solving it. You may have to return later, and Gumi has its own uses."

"Thank you so much," Friday said, her voice sounded over-excited. I'd sound the same way if I was speaking, Nigel decided.

"Please put the shrine back in order, lock the door, and keep the key if you want to come and see me again. Oh, and take this. Eke Eke, gold, a map, and some water for the journey." Prospero gave them their gifts. Nigel and Friday thanked him once more, and exited the cave. Also, Nigel promised to remember him when they get the treasures, but Prospero said he had no use for currency; he had all he wanted with his scrolls and books.

The bridge was fixed and surrounded by Massan tribesmen who were speaking in nervous tones. Nigel decided not to bother them. It was near dusk and Nigel was ready to turn in. However, he'd not get to sleep any time soon.

"Nigel! Nigel, thank the goddess! I need your help" The mayor was panicked to the point of insanity.

"What's wrong, sir?" Nigel replied in a calm manner.

"They took her. They took Fara! Those Gumi thugs came while you were gone and kidnapped her! Can you please help me get her back…? I'll give you anything you want."

Nigel assured him payment would not be necessary, stopped by the store to grab some supplies, and headed back out. He crossed the bridge and came to another crossroads. North was Massan, South was Gumi, and West was the Swamp Shrine. They continued towards Gumi. On their way, they encountered a very strange creature that Nigel had never seen before.

"Stop!" Friday ordered. There were approaching a bed of mushrooms that were growing on the pathway.

"What's the matter, Friday?" Nigel wondered.

"The mushrooms, they're dangerous."

Nigel laughed and kept walking. How could they possibly pose a threat, he wondered. At that moment, three creatures surfaced from the ground underneath the mushrooms. The mushrooms that were visible on the ground a second ago were parts of these beasts. They were like giant walking fungi. Nigel drew his sword and sliced through the three, finishing them quickly due to their soft, mushroom textured skin.

"What the fuck were those!?" Nigel asked, a little freaked out.

"Those are mushrooms," Friday answered. "They have poison that can hurt you. Some poison, some have long lasting venom, some paralyze, and some cause hallucinations."

"I should listen to you more often."

Friday sighed long and hard. "Yeah, I think you should."

The village was in sight when they encountered wild orcs. They were smaller and more alert than the ones from the Waterfall Shrine, and Nigel laid waste them just as easily. Nigel and Friday approached the gates, but the Gumi guards refused to let them in.

"How are we going to get in now?" Friday whined.

Nigel surveyed the area and found an overgrown pathway going up the hillside next to Gumi. They went up and watched from a distance. A ritual seemed to be taking place. Eight citizens were on their knees, four were pounding on hand drums, and one, whom Nigel figured was the mayor, was chanting and talking from a book. There was a figure tied to a post in the center of the ritual. It was Fara.

"Nigel," Friday whispered, "those are sacrificial chants. They're used when people want to sacrifice a living person or creature to an idol."

"You mean to tell me they're gonna sacrifice Fara to something?"

"Yes," Friday answered.

The mayor stopped chanting, two of the men picked up Fara on her post, and the whole group left the town in the way that Friday and Nigel had come. After they were gone, Nigel and Friday scoured the village. Nigel found an interesting statue that he took, and Friday found some loose gold and Eke Eke. To their surprise, they found another Massan girl, beat and tied up in a hut. Nigel unbound her and interrogated her as Friday healed her wounds.

"Who are you and why are you here," Nigel asked gently and comfortingly.

"I'm… Hanha…" she said between sobs. "Fara was… my friend… I… came looking for her…" Hanha was sobbing hard and uncontrollably. "I hid… in the corner of the village… and before they started the ritual they found… me…." At this point she sobbed even harder, unable to talk. Friday comforted her until she was sobbing less, and Hanha continued, "Two men… they brought me in here and tied me up… they beat me and shouted horrible things at me… They… they began to molest me and touch me all over… then they… they…"

"That's ok, Hanha. You don't have to continue." Nigel told her. He looked at Friday, who now had tears running down her face. "Friday, take Hanha back to Massan, please. I'll go after the Gumi tribe and get back Fara. Is that ok?"

"Yes," Friday whimpered. She was crying harder now. They split at the crossroads, where Nigel went to the Swamp Shrine and Friday took Hanha back to Massan.

On the way to the shrine, Nigel cut down several mushrooms. Some fluid from one got on his hand. It burned his hand badly, showing why the mushrooms are dangerous like Friday said. A wooden bridge, or what was left of it, cut across the mucky swamp. On the way, Nigel faced several armored orcs and came out of the fight with only a scratch on his forehead. Finally, he made it to the shrine. It was closed with a large, brick barrier. It had a slot in the middle. Along the hillside, Massan warriors were hidden; they were ready to ambush the Gumi tribe. This was one of the rare occasions that bear men were violent, but who could blame them? One of their children was raped and another girl was being sacrificed. The Gumi tribe was abnormal, however. No bear men were ever said to have behaved this way; they were usually devout worshipers of the goddess.

Nigel approached the brick barrier and studied the slot. In a spring of intelligence, he reached into his bag to pull out the idol he found in one of the huts. He stuck it into the slot, and the barrier was raised by chains and gears, which sounded rusty and worn out as if they were ready to give out at any second.

The swamp shrine was truly a dark and eerie place, unlike the beautiful and ambient Waterfall Shrine. Upon entering, two statues of gruesome looking orcs welcomed you. The cave was torch-lit yet still very dim. It was set up much like the Waterfall Shrine with many tasks and keys. However, this cave had traps too. As usually, Nigel had faced tougher traps, and avoided them without a single problem.

Finally, with one key left from his conquest of the swamp shrine, he walked into a room full of orcs. Knowing he was probably biting of more than he could chew, he attacked. First, Nigel took two down by a surprised slitting of throats. The others swung their clubs to no avail, and Nigel counter-moved to kill. Two were left, not moving from the door. He attacked from one of their sides. Spinning from dodging a club, Nigel slit the throat of one. The other orc caught Nigel in the stomach with his club, launching the elf across the room and into the wall. Coughing and trying to catch his breath, Nigel stood to face the orc that was coming near him. He stood in silence, without moving a muscle as the orc approached him. Thinking that it had time, the orc took his sweet time raising his club to put a final blow on Nigel's head. In this moment, Nigel thrust his sword into the orcs neck to waste him. He grabbed the key from the orc's belt before he fell to the ground.

Nigel unlocked the door and entered into the room. The Gumi tribe was bowing down to two figures across the room. Fara, bound to the post still, was in between the figures. The figures were dark orcs. They were typically larger in size and muscle compared to the other orcs. They had a dark brown skin tone and were more intelligent, able to craft armor from tree wood. However, Nigel found one thing peculiar about these dark orcs: they had neck chains that bore a green glowing stone. The behavior of the tribe became clear to Nigel: the Gumi tribe was possessed.

Drawing his sword, he walked past the Gumi tribe like they weren't there. The Gumi bear men, who resembled those from Massan but had lighter hair, cowarded back, calling for the orc "kings" to take care of Nigel. They charged.

This time, Nigel ran from them. He was running towards a wall. As he got closer, he allowed them to gain on him. Knowing he was far more agile, he dodged at the last minute, causing them to run straight into the brick wall. Dazed and cornered, they allowed Nigel to waste them. He spilled their throats unto the floor and smashed the stones. Immediately, the screams of the Gumi's stopped. They looked as if they had just woken from a long sleep.

"Well, we need to get you home," said Nigel as he approached Fara. Nigel cut her free, and she hugged Nigel.

"Thank you," Fara exclaimed with tears of joy in her eyes. "You came just in time."

"Let's get out of here."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Thank the goddess!" the chief exclaimed as they entered Massan. "Friday brought Hanha back a few hours ago she's in bed resting." He looked at his daughter and hugged her. "C'mon, let's go." The chief and his daughter disappeared into the hut and her mother's squeals of joy escaped.

"Nigel! I'm so glad you and Fara are safe!" Friday rejoiced, flying at Nigel and clinging onto his neck in a form of hug.

Nigel reached up and held her to his neck with his hand; it was the best way he figured he could hug back. "Have some faith in me, Friday," he told her, "and don't worry so much. Like I've said this is my life. And you are my first companion on a quest. I'll always come back for you."

"Aw! You're a really sweet guy, Nigel. Not too bad on the eyes either."

This stunned Nigel. _So I have a wood nymph is flirting with me now_, he thought, _this is going to be a fun journey. How am I supposed to tell her about Katie?_

"A-hem," Friday interrupted his thinking, "I just called you sweet and handsome and I got no response!"

"Oh," Nigel replied, "thank you. I appreciate it. You know, we make a pretty good team." Nigel was trying to return a compliment without making it sound like he was flirting. He didn't want Friday to get the wrong idea; it'd only make it harder when he had to tell her about Katie. "Let's turn in for the night."

They got to the inn, and a room was all ready for them. To their surprise, it was filled with gifts: gold, eke eke, and a red jewel that had a glimmer like Nigel had never seen before. The bed was made of straw, but the pillows were nice and fluffy from feathers. Nigel took one of the two pillows, cleared off the bedside table, and placed it there. "You can have this, Friday."

"Aw! Thank you so much!" She climbed onto it and curled up. "I had lots of fun today, Nigel. You're a really cool guy. G'night, elf boy." Nigel had no idea how to handle this nymph who was the size of his hand and seemed to be developing a crush on him. He was thinking of Katie as he drifted to sleep.

"I'm sorry Friday, but I came to this island to find Katie. I like her a lot and I kinda did it with her. I can't have you flirting with me." Friday was balling.

"I trusted you!" she repeated several times between sobs. "I thought we had something!"

The scene changed. Friday was holding a dagger her size. A figure lay on the ground. Katie was bleeding from her throat and mouth, and Friday was giggling. "…Nigel," Katie gargled. Friday's giggling turned to laughter. Then, Nigel woke up, screaming and sweating. It was the very beginning of sunrise, but the sky was still dark. Breathing heavy, Nigel looked down to find Friday had been sleeping on his chest. She woke up, saw that she was noticed, and flew back onto her pillow blushing. "Oh, I'm sorry," Friday laughed nervously. She noticed Nigel's expression and sweatiness. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Nigel answered, lying back down and calming down, "I just had a nightmare, but I'll be fine."

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

"I might some other time, not now though. Let's try and sleep a little longer. Then we have to go through the village of Gumi to get to Ryuma."

In the morning, Nigel and Friday said their final farewells and left for Gumi. They were ambushed by the mushroom monsters again, but were quickly taken care of by Nigel. He found it fun destroying monsters. Finally they made it to Gumi, where they were warmly welcomed. They were given gifts similar to those that Massan gave them except there was no jewel. When the hunter and his nymph companion wanted to leave, two strong village people went with to help clear a landslide. Once done, Nigel and Friday were officially on their way to Ryuma, which appeared to be slightly larger than Gumi and Massan per the map Prospero gave them.

On their way to Ryuma, the friends noticed a house on top of a hill. Nigel wanted to continue towards Ryuma, but Friday insisted that they go towards the house. The climb was tiring, but they made it. The house was a sturdy brick one. It was the first building on the island that wasn't a rugged hut. Nigel hesitated for a second before knocking. A man dressed in military armor answered and welcomed them inside.

"I'm Kato," the man introduced himself. "How may I help you? A sword maybe?"

Nigel opened his mouth to speak, but Friday spoke first. "Prospero sends his regards. He asks that you present the sword."

He looked at Nigel with a curious look. Then he smiled and nodded at Friday. "So, you have come looking for the legendary treasures. You like the island?"

Nigel was stunned. How did this guy know that they were looking for the treasures? More importantly, why did Friday say that and why did it mean anything to Kato? "It's beautiful here," Nigel finally answered. "The island's full of danger, of course, but it's beautiful."

"Indeed it is. Your names are?"

"I'm Nigel, she is Friday."

"Perfect. Take this sword. It's freshly sharpened and has a magic to it. The blade was forged in the fires of the underworld and found its way up to our world, somehow. This is one of four magical blades on the island. Prospero meant for them to be given to the hunter he approved of, but I have only recovered this one. The rest are scattered around the island."

"Well, I bet I can find them on my hunt," Nigel assured Kato. "I will remember you, and when I recover the treasures I will return this sword to you with the others that I find."

"Thank you, Nigel, and good luck." The man and elf shook hands, and soon Nigel and Friday were on their way.

Down the road, two Cyclops wandered across. Nigel and Friday hid behind a bush and sneaked out of their sight. Cyclopes were almost twice the size of orcs and much more violent and agile. To pick a fight now would be a horrible mistake.

"Friday, how did you know to tell Kato about Prospero?" Nigel questioned. This had puzzled him since that moment.

"He told me on the way out," she replied, grinning proudly. Nigel still wondered why Prospero didn't tell him, too, but he decided to drop the idea since it didn't really matter.

They arrived at a crossroads by a sea shore; Nigel assumed that they must be close. West was Mercator, and east was Ryuma. Naturally, they headed east. On their journey, they met another native monster.

"Nigel," Friday said, trying to catch his attention. "We've got worms." She pointed at the ground where several hills of dirt were approaching them. Nigel drew his sword and stepped back. All at once, snake-like worms came up from the ground and snapped at Nigel. Unlike the other fiends he had encountered on the island so far, these were quick moving and possessed a bit more intelligence. Nigel successfully beheaded one of them, but another lunged at his leg. It bit down with sharp teeth, causing Nigel to fall to his knees. Another leapt out of the ground and at his face, but Nigel ducked, allowing the creature to soar over him. He cut the head of the one on his leg, naturally causing it to release him, and felled the one behind him. The others retreated.

"So these monsters do actually pose a threat," Nigel thought out loud.

"It gets worse, Nigel," Friday informed, "and you have just scratched the surface." They began walking, but Nigel was very noticeably limping along. "Let me get that," Friday insisted, stopping the forest elf and acquiring an eke eke plant from his bag and applying it to the wound. As with his ear, the wound healed with nary a scratch. The area was numbed temporarily, but it would be gone within a short time, leaving his leg as good as new.

Finally, they arrived at Ryuma. It was a cozy town, with yellow bricked houses and red colored roofs. A marble church stood out in the center of the town, and a larger house a block from the church surrounded by a garden, Nigel figured, was for the mayor. Completing the hillside village was a magnificent lighthouse, the only one on the island. Its light supplied for the port in Mercator City.

The city wasn't exactly the capital of the island. It supplied military services to the island and was very much the head of the island's power, wealth, and splendor. However, each town and village was under its own control as they pleased. The city was meant to keep peace among the towns, and the purpose had been served ever since the legendary King Nole's disappearance.

Nigel didn't want to stop at Ryuma. It was pointless to his journey across Mercator. However, Nigel and Friday could not enter the walls of Mercator City unless they acquired a safety pass. Nigel figured that they could get some passes in Ryuma, so they started towards the mayor's house. A man was in the door. When Nigel and Friday approached him, he jumped back with a nervous, pale look on his face.

"It's true! The mayor has been kidnapped!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

This posed another problem and obstacle for their journey. Mercator City was surrounded by a high security wall, making it impenetrable for even Nigel. He needed the mayor to sentence him a pass. He walked into the house, where three men sat. "Hey, where is the mayor?" Nigel asked, knowing that he was kidnapped. He wanted them to tell him directly so that Nigel would volunteer to get him back.

"Well, to tell you the truth, we don't know where he is. He was kidnapped last night along with a few other citizens from the shop, inn, and lighthouse. It is unusual, since all these people are important to the function of this village…"

The Massan and Gumi conflict got in their way, and now this did_. Strange_, Nigel thought, _it's as if these are meant to slow down hunters…_

"Do you have any leads?" Nigel continued.

"Well there are some thieves that we believe to be in the den just over there. It's possible that they—,"

"I'll go look for the victims there," Nigel insisted, not allowing the man to continue.

They were given directions to the den, they had to sale by boat across the bay to a cave where thieves were said to hang out. On their way to the docks, Nigel and Friday encountered some familiar faces.

"Fucking cunt, who the fuck do you think you are to treat a lady like that?" Kayla shouted. Her and her monsters were on a raft of driftwood and rope.

Friday began laughing hysterically. "Did you call yourself a lady? I didn't know a slutty whore and brat qualified as 'lady-like.'"

"You're the slut. I don't know if you figured it out but his dick is probably bigger than you are Friday. You can stop flirting with him you know." Friday's face went red with blushing.

"I thought I told you to leave her alone, bitch," Nigel yelled at Kayla. "You look desperate enough to have sex with those freaks of nature"—Nigel motioned to the monsters—"and you'd enjoy every bit of it, you slut."

"Fuck you, elf boy!" she retorted as she herself blushed.

"I would never crawl into a cave that has been filled with monsters," Nigel responded, causing Friday to almost fall off his shoulder in laughter.

"If I had my knives…" Kayla threatened.

"Are they stuck up your pussy? Is that why you're in such a fucked up mood?" Nigel smiled at his good work, but they kept drifting away. Kayla cursed at one of her monsters for being a horrible driver. "Well, I bet she liked how that monster drove her the other night," Nigel mumbled to Friday. She fell off Nigel's shoulder from laughter but was caught in his hand.

They boarded a makeshift dinghy of their own, and Nigel rowed them to the cave, which had its entrance in the water. A dock was inside of the cave. Once there, they tied up their boat and entered the cave, which had a multiple waterfalls from a river that ran through the center. The cave led upwards, but Nigel would have to go through the caves on the side since the wall was too steep to climb.

Walking into the first room, they stumbled upon a man. He looked beaten and unconscious, but was still barely alive. He appeared to be a thief. _Why would they beat their own person_, Nigel wondered. As they walked, they dispatched some fights with orcs and came across yet another seemingly dead body which Nigel presumed was a thief. "This kidnapping was no work of these thieves," Nigel concluded to Friday.

Finally, they made it to the top but were disappointed to find only a statue of the goddess and another unconscious thief.

"Damn it!" Friday cursed upon finding the dead end. "Where the fuck are they? Whoever did the kidnapping needed this cave for something, obviously…"

"You're right," Nigel said as he examined the statue. "They were clever hiders, these thieves, and the culprit for the kidnapping found out how they did it. Now"—Nigel pushed the goddess statue back—"so have we."

The water flow was halted at the river's entrance to the cave, and what was once river became dry land all throughout the cave.

"Oh," Nigel sighed in disappointment, "that's all that it does." The elf sat and buried his head in his hands.

"No, Nigel, get back up!" Friday exclaimed. "You just might be on to something." The wood nymph flew into the side cave that took them up the hideout, and Nigel followed. They came into the center level below the statue, and all disappointment they carried disappeared. Nigel and Friday discovered another part of the cave was hidden behind the waterfall.

Nigel sprinted into the cave, but he only found a locked door at the end. As he cursed every word in the book, Friday flew out and found another cave corridor where the waterfall once was on the level below. She flew back to inform Nigel, and they made their way down to the other corridor. This time, they found a man searching the room.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked as they entered. "Oh, it doesn't matter. I came here looking for something shiny but all I found was a goddess damn key. Well, good luck to you!" the man said before laughing and walking away. Nigel recovered the key and headed out back to the other corridor with Friday on his shoulder.

The door unlocked as it should, and they entered a staircase filled with statues. They came to a hallway with two doors. They took one only to find another locked door, so they went through the second door. A course of obstacles and traps with a bed of spikes below was through that door. Nigel figured the key was on the other side. He carefully made his way past the traps and obstacles. The room at the end of the course was totally black, and Nigel could not see what was inside. Like the last time, Friday left him, and Nigel, taking a deep breath, plunged into darkness. The stone floor gave out, and the forest elf fell with it.

He fell into a brighter room, and looked up to see a beastly armored man in a full knight's armor and a sword larger than Nigel's. The door behind him was locked; Nigel had no escape. With no other option, he drew his broadsword to face the armored man. Their swords clashed, but the force of the man pushed Nigel to the side. This told Nigel that his strength alone could not win this fight.

Nigel tried a new tactic. He let the beastly man swing the sword, and on his backswing Nigel slashed in the kink of his armor by the armpit. It was strategic placement because this was his strong arm and he could not fight worth a shit without that arm. On the knight's next swing, Nigel repeated this attack, rendering the knight's right arm useless to him. Now weak, the knight allowed Nigel to disarm him, throw him against the wall, and waste him. As the knight breathed his final breath, Nigel froze and fell to his knees.

"Nigel!" Friday called in the distance. She flew down to where Nigel knelt beside the dead man. He began to shake uncontrollably as tears streaked down his face. "Honey," Friday began in a comforting tone, "what's wrong?"

"I…" Nigel started, "I killed a man…" At this, he began to sob. "I treated him just like a monster…" Nigel never killed an intelligent being (humans, elves, dwarves, nymphs, etc.) before this moment. He was broken about it… He swore to himself long ago that no treasure would turn him into a murderer.

"Nigel, there will be more men like this. And when they set traps and try to kill you, they are just that: monsters. You will have to kill others like him. I'm sorry, but that is how things are. You have to get over it." Friday had never sounded more concerned. She was definitely a girl of many personalities.

Nigel had calmed his sobbing. He was still shaking, though, so Friday sat on his shoulder and hugged his neck as an attempt to comfort him further.

"You're right," he finally spoke up. "He would have killed me. He was just another monster. There will be more like him and I can't do this when I have to kill them." Having calmed himself to steady breathing and no shaking, he grabbed his sword, stood up, and added one more slash, beheading the limp, blood-drenched corpse. "I have to be able to deal with this."

They grabbed the key from a hook in the knight's quarters and headed back up to the locked door. Two more thieves tied up and dead in appearance were found behind that door. A rope was at the end of the room. Nigel looked up to find light at the top of the climb. He only had one way to go: up.

When Nigel finally made it up to the top, another suited foe was there to welcome him. He laughed a menacing laugh and said, "Well, you've made it far, elf boy, but you can't go any farther. By next week, you will be forgotten."

Nigel laughed as he drew his sword. They clashed, and sparks flew from the magical blade. He attempted the same tactic, but the man was too quick this time. He backhanded Nigel's blade into the hillside. From Nigel's angle, he was screwed. He ran for his sword s the man followed close behind. Nigel drew his knife and jabbed it into the shoulder kink of the knight's armor before absorbing the charge and being crushed under the weight of the man. They rolled several times before they came apart at the bottom of the hill. Nigel was beaten from the weight and hardness of his armor, but the man was slowly wasting away with the knife still in his side. The forest elf finally got to his feet, recovered his sword, and finished the kidnapper without a nervous breakdown. He limped to the top of the hill, where a cave entrance was, but collapsed face-first onto the hilltop.

Nigel began to drift away, but as he was swallowed by darkness, he felt a warm sensation. Friday had recovered what remained of Nigel's eke eke supply and began healing him. He regained consciousness as she healed his dislocated shoulder.

"Thank you," Nigel appreciated Friday as he rose to his feet. They entered the cave, where the mayor and the rest of the kidnapped were tied and gagged. The mayor told them to come by his house when they got back, and the people of Ryuma rushed back to town. Some chests lied in the corner. Gold and eke eke were in three of them.

The fourth chest revealed something rather odd. It was a stone plate in a rectangular shape with an engraved dragon on it. On its tail and feet there were colored stones. On its eye was a yellow stone.

"Hey, Friday, what is this?" Nigel questioned.

"Whoa, that's Gola! He was the idol that King Nole used to worship. Gola is the god of destruction that takes form as a dragon," she answered.

Nigel pulled out a map from his bag and held it next to the plate. "It's shaped like the island," he concluded.

"Of course! Why didn't I see it before? It's a lithograph! These are rare; there is only one or two in existence but they show the locations of Nole's jewels! They were scattered across the island after his disappearance. Look! The one tail points to Massan, where we were given the red jewel—,"

"—and the stone that is on the tail is red, matching the red jewel!" Nigel finished triumphantly. "This must mean that the rest of the jewels are at these locations!"

"Yes! Gola's eye must be—," Friday stopped talking and shrieked. She had been pulled off Nigel's shoulder from behind. Nigel drew his sword and turned around to find Kayla and her companions. Kayla was holding a knife to Friday's throat. She had a wicked grin as she stared menacingly into Nigel's sky blue eyes.

"Now, you know it wouldn't be smart: waving that sword around like that. I think you might want to drop it quickly like a good little errand boy," Kayla sneered.

Nigel dropped his sword. "Let her go," he demanded.

"Oh? But I want something from you, Nigel. I need that lithograph, and you will give it to me. After all, your companion's life depends on it."

Nigel took a look at Friday, who was crying now from fear as the blade got slowly closer to her throat, and a look back at the lithograph. "Here," Nigel sighed, knowing he could not win, "take the damn lithograph."

"Lovely!" Kayla exclaimed, tossing Friday into the ground. "Stay beautiful, you slut."—she spit at Friday—"while we go and find ourselves some treasures." Kayla winked deviously at Nigel as she exited.

"I'm sorry, Nigel. It's all my fault. I lost you the—" Friday cried.

"It's ok," Nigel assured her, picking her up. "It's not your fault. Things happen." He picked up his sword and charged at the pack. One of the monsters heard him coming and deflected Nigel's fire sword with his rock-solid arm. With its other arm, it backhanded Nigel's body and sent him flying into a wall. By the time Nigel could see straight again, the clan was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Thank you so much for rescuing us," the mayor was saying. Nigel and Friday had returned to the village. Guards from Mercator had come and collected the thieves into custody and the dead bodies of the men Nigel had slain. The mayor, in return for rescuing them, had given them gold and filled their eke eke supply. He paid for their stay at the inn that night, as well. "If there is anything else we can do for you too, I'd be happy to provide."

"Actually," Nigel began, "I hate asking payment for my deeds, but we need passes into Mercator to continue our journey."

"That's not a problem at all." He walked into the back and grabbed some pass templates. "So, Nigel of Maple and Friday the Wood Nymph, here are your passes."

"Thank you, sir." Nigel and Friday left and decided that they wanted to see the view from the lighthouse. Once at the top, they watched the sunset on the horizon.

"Nigel, you never told me about your dream," Friday said after a few minutes.

"Well," Nigel began, "you never told me about why you were crying two days ago. Do you remember when we were climbing and I asked you how you ended up in Maple?

"Yeah, I remember…"

"Since that happened first, I'd like you to tell me about it."

Friday stayed silent. She was sitting on the edge; her legs were dangling off. When she was silent long enough, Nigel looked at her. The past few days, Nigel didn't have much time to admire how she looked. She had short black hair that didn't reach her shoulders. She wore a black dress that stopped above her knees. Her eyes were brown, but they almost looked black. Friday's wings were black and outlined with green, like the typical wood nymph; some variations were found on occasion. Now, she began to cry again.

"No," she said, "I can't do this… I can't cry. I have to face my past…"

"It won't hurt my thoughts on you. You're a good friend, Friday, and I'm not going to leave you."

"I know," she whimpered. She wiped her eyes and looked up. "I was captured by men when I was returning from visiting some friends in Destel. I was caged and shipped over to Maple, where I was sold on the black market. First I was treated like a slave and was hidden from the elves and nymphs, who would have raided the house if I was noticed. But, I was sold again. To these next people, I was a toy. Not like on a doll house or as some little girl's doll, but as a sick man's toy to… to play with…" Friday began to sob, so Nigel picked her up and held her to his chest.

"I finally escaped and went into hiding. That's when I found Matt and the other wood nymphs. They took care of me and treated me like a being, like a nymph, not like a slave or a toy. I was talking with some elf girls about treasure hunters at a bar one night when a bar fight happened. I couldn't see who was fighting, but the girls were talking of an elf that took out four men single-handedly. I was proud of him, and thrilled to have sorta witnessed that happen. Then, one of my friends, Katie left to go meet him." At this, Nigel's eyes were wide; Friday could not see this reaction since she wasn't looking at his face. By now, she had stopped crying and was back on the edge looking into the horizon. She continued, "We kept talking and Kayla overheard me say I knew about King Nole's treasures. While I was on my way home, they kidnapped me and brought me to their inn. They told me I was going to lead them to the treasures. I ran away the next morning. I ran into you during the chase and… well, you know the story from there."

"I'm sorry… but I'm glad things got better. You were treated wrongly." Nigel himself was on the verge of tears. The sun had sit, and their shadows were cast into the sea from the light of the lighthouse. "It's late, so I'll tell you what you want to know when we get to the inn."

They walked down the spiral staircase and headed out the door. Friday was sitting on Nigel's shoulder, leaning against his neck. When Nigel got into the room, Friday didn't leave his shoulder; she was asleep. Just like the night before, Nigel set aside a pillow for her and gently lifted her from his shoulder. He placed her on the pillow and said to himself, "I'll tell her in the morning." Nigel lied down, turned out the lantern, and drifted to sleep.

Nigel woke first the next morning. After sharpening his blade and rearranging his bag, which took approximately a half-hour, he woke up Friday. They snacked on some bread; the mayor had provided them with a few loaves for their deeds. After checking over their safety passes, they got up and set out for the city. Not a word was spoken that morning.

On the way to Mercator, Friday finally spoke up. "What was your dream about?"

"It's a long story," Nigel replied. "I'll tell you when we have time. The journey will be short, so my story would be interrupted if I started now."

"Fine…" sighed Friday. "You will tell me by the end of the day, though." About a mile from the wall, three Cyclopes entered the road. One caught a glimpse of Nigel, who didn't hide quick enough, and let go a beastly roar, catching the attention of the others, as well as some orcs and worms in the distance.

After his moment of shock, Nigel took his knife and threw it towards the charging Cyclops, luckily catching it straight in its eye. It fell on its back, dropping his club and covering the hole that was once his eye with his hands. Nigel took charge and thrust his sword straight at the heart of the Cyclops, scorching the tough, purple tinted skin and wasting what was left of the Cyclops. After what was seemingly an easy task, Nigel looked up to behold the horde of monsters charging him.

The orcs came first. Nigel finished them easily; he could do so with his eyes closed by now if he wanted to. All at once, the worms leapt at him. He dove to the ground and let them fly over him. He stood to face the pair of Cyclopes that were charging him now with a furious war cry. With the Cyclopes in front of him and the worms behind him, Nigel formed a plan. He ran from the Cyclopes and towards the worms, which were bearing their teeth and drawing back to lunge. As they did so, Nigel rolled on the ground beneath them, sending the worms flying into the pair of Cyclopes and latching on with their fangs. The Cyclopes fought with the worms, which would not let go. While they were preoccupied, Nigel slit one's throat and finished its worms off. The second Cyclops, having dispatched his defensive against the worms, caught Nigel in the stomach with his club and sent the forest elf flying onto the beach.

From Nigel's angle, all hope was lost. His sword was back where the Cyclops stood. It started running towards him. As it drew back its club to smash every bone in Nigel's body, it stopped. Confused, Nigel studied the beast to find that an arrow had pierced through its throat. It fell at Nigel, who had just enough time to roll out of its way. He looked up at where the arrow had come from, but whoever sent that arrow was long gone into the forest. Nigel stood and brushed the sand from his clothing before going to recover Friday from the bush that she hid in as the horde attacked.

"You continue to amaze me, elf boy," she complimented, giggling after she did. They continued towards the wall and came to the gate, where two guards stood watch. They revealed their passes and entered the city.

It truly was full of splendor. The houses were like those in Ryuma, but better kept and cleaner looking. People walked by in wealthy clothing. Children played in the meadow and girls gossiped as they walked down the streets. They were all peaceful here, which was a huge difference from Gamul and the Capital. A magnificent Castle stood at their right. The sea port, full of traders and merchants, was on their left. Up ahead were a Church, a shop, and a two story building that many people flocked around. Nigel decided they'd check them out, but first he stopped at the inn to book a room for the night.

"While we're here," Friday began when they entered their room, "I want you to tell me your dream. You're not putting it off anymore."

"Fine," Nigel agreed. He didn't have much of a choice and figured it was only fair since Friday told her story to him the night before. "This might seem like sort of a shock but… the elf in that bar fight was me, and Katie went out to meet me. We got acquainted… well, we got more than acquainted." Nigel slightly laughed and blushed a little. Then, he continued, "She said she was coming to this island to live with some family I believe, and I promised one day I might come out here and see her. When you told me about the treasures, her living here was one of the main reasons I accepted this challenge.

"Anyway, the day before the nightmare… I don't know I had the feeling…" Nigel hesitated to continue. He didn't know how to come out and say that he thought Friday had feelings for him. "I had the feeling that you had feelings for me."

Silence followed.

"Oh…" Friday responded. "Ok, so… continue?"

"Well… I had a dream of telling you my feelings toward Katie… then the setting switched to a scene where you brutally killed Katie out of jealousy…."

"Ok, so is that all?"

"Yeah…"

"Well I know you can't control your dreams, but you really thought that I liked you?"

"I guess so…" Nigel was blushing now and looking down. "Am I right?"

More silence followed.

"You…" Friday began, but hesitated. "You were right…"

Again, they were silent. Nigel didn't know how to respond, and Friday was too embarrassed to say anything else. After a few minutes, Nigel said, "I think I'm gonna take a short nap before we head back out. I'm sorry if I offended you…"

After he woke up, he found Friday on the window sill. She was looking up at the castle.

"Nigel," she said, "it seems like there is a girl up in the tower."

"It is probably just a maid. This isn't a fairy tale," Nigel replied.

"Yeah," Friday sighed, "you can say that again." Nigel couldn't help but feel bad for her.

They headed out into the town. They walked through the blocks. One was very peculiar to Nigel. One whole block was elves. _They have a block for our sector of elves in one of the towns, _Nigel recalled the words of Katie. _This is it, _he thought, _this is where Katie is!_ Immediately, he went to the nearest elf to ask about Katie. He was given directions to a certain house. He took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The door opened. "Excuse me, where can I find a Katie."

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" answered an elf girl who seemed to be about the same age as Katie.

Nigel froze_. Why wouldn't she know! Katie was here_, he thought. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, when she arrived, all she talked about was this rogue elf whom she had met and whom she liked a lot. She said you would come for her, but after a few days she was gone. I think she ran away under influence of that rogue elf. I'm guessing that would be you, Nigel?"

"Yes, that is me," he answered, "but I do not know where she is…" The door was shut, and Nigel left in his thoughts as he stood against the wall.

Nigel was officially stunned. She was gone. She left when she knew he was coming for him. What if she never left? What if she was kidnapped because of her acquaintance with him. After all, between Ryuma's kidnapping and the conflict between Massan and Gumi, someone could be trying to prevent him from getting the treasures. If he evaded their two traps, then they might want to take her as further leverage to prevent him from continuing his journey. But then… how would they know of their acquaintance. As Nigel thought of it, this idea became more unlikely. Either way, he had to continue his journey. Sooner or later, this competitor in this race for the treasures will revel himself in Nigel's journey, and knowing this is what made Nigel carry on.

"Are you ok?" Friday asked after he had leaned against the wall for about ten minutes without moving.

"I'm fine," Nigel lied. "Let's go. I want to check out what the shop has to offer." With this, they strolled into a shop. They found some overpriced eke eke and detox grass, an herb which could relieve one of the effects of poison or venom. One item alone, however, caught his eye easily. An iron breastplate for a not so reasonable price of seven hundred fifty coins was for sale. This was almost all of the money Nigel had acquired on the island, but he decided it would be well spent. After buying this, he figured he'd try to get in to see the duke of Mercator; he inhabited the castle.

When he got there, he stated his name and purpose as custom. However, the guards refused to let him in. Even after he told them of his work in Gumi and Ryuma, he was still denied. Finally, he cursed them out and left.

Next, Nigel decided he would check out the building where the people had gathered outside of earlier. On the way, Friday engaged in a conversation with some elf girls. The crowd outside the building had disappeared except for a girl who was leaning against the wall and looked to be in her later teens (like Nigel's appearance) and a young man who peered in the window, muttering, "I wonder what they do in there… men always come here…" The girl had her eyes locked on him, but Nigel did his best to ignore this… until she approached him.

"Hey, cutie," she said seductively. "Aren't you a handsome guy? You think I'm pretty, don't you?"—Nigel actually thought the exact contrary—"I need a boyfriend… would you—"

"No! he won't be your boyfriend, you whore." Friday interrupted, having returned from the elf girls. "You can back off now, since he's obviously not interested."

"Wow, ok, I'm so sorry." She gave Friday a menacing glare before walking back to her wall. Nigel proceeded to do what he came to do: check out the building. He turned the knob and entered through the door. The inside was elegantly decorated and kept clean and tidy. Across the room was a staircase with mahogany railing. Two young women whom Nigel assumed to be maids stood at the bottom of the staircase. Some men sat on chairs in the lobby, and a man in an eye-patch sat at a desk. The forest elf approached the desk, figuring that is where he should go. The man looked up and told him to go away. He said the business wasn't for young people. When Nigel tried to tell him that he was nearly one hundred twenty-four years old, the man wouldn't hear anything of it. Eventually, Nigel gave up.

When the man at the desk looked down, however, Nigel tried to go to the women by the staircase and get some information or maybe access to the top floor, but they denied it. _Why is this so secretive?_ he wondered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

He was depressed at this point. He was at a dead end. There was no lead of where to go. He needed to explore the places that the lithograph had pointed to, but the city of Mercator had stumped him so far… This journey had upset Nigel so much that he asked Friday to leave him as he went for a walk. There was a community meadow on the east side of the castle wall. Nigel figured the fragrance of the flowers would help to clear his mind so that he could calm down and figure out his next move.

The meadow was empty when he entered it. He picked a soft patch of grass in the center to sit and look up at the castle. A wall surrounded it; however, the castle itself stood high above the wall. Outside the wall, a moat about seven feet wide further protected the castle. Between the moat and the wall, there was a path of grass wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. Nigel's eyes traveled down the wall towards the other end of the meadow and ended up gazing upon a door. Now the grass path between the moat and wall made sense.

Despite his efforts, Nigel felt no better. His mind kept going back and forth between what could have happened to Katie, what could be in that building, and where the fuck he was supposed to go from here. Searching desperately, he found a fountain down by the north end of the meadow, across from where the door was, and decided that the cool water of the fountain might help him calm down.

Cold mist from the fountain blew at Nigel and hit his face, causing a cool and refreshed feeling to purge his body's senses. Wanting more, he took off his leather boots and socks to place them in the water. Once he had done it, he closed his eyes and lied down in the grass with his feet still submerged. This was the first time Nigel ever could truly relax since arriving on the island. His mind began to slow until it was completely empty, not having a worry or troubling thought. Eventually, this feeling that Nigel had just grown to love was interrupted by the opening of the door across the moat. Not knowing what to expect, he stood up, grabbed his boots, and hid behind the fountain, where he could watch from a safe distance. Two men exited through the door: one clad in red knight's armor and another in the usual attire for a castle guard.

"You cannot tell a soul where I am going by the way, or even tell them I have gone. I need you to cover for me when I'm at my appointment in Madame Yard's," the knight was saying to the guard. "If my whereabouts got around to the other guards, I wouldn't be able to show my face in front of them again…"

"I might need a bonus, sir," the other guard whined. "You know, keeping my master's secrets wasn't in my job description…"

"Ugh, fine, you can have a bonus," the knight replied with a reluctant tone in his voice. He handed over a money bag filled with gold coins.

"You know what?" the guard began. "I have no clue where you are going."

The knight laughed at this joke. "Ha, keep it that way." They headed back towards the front of the castle and Nigel rose from his hiding place. _That's it_, he decided._ I have to get into that building. I have to get into Madame Yard's._

Without Friday, Nigel entered into Madame Yard's a second time. "Listen to me," Nigel ordered the deskman. "I am older than I look. See these ears?"—Nigel pointed to his elongated and pointed ears—"These are elf ears. I am an _elf._ Elves live for three hundred years nearly. We could look like we're in our late teen ages for _one hundred years_. I am one hundred and twenty three and I demand that you let me in now, goddess damn it!" The man returned a glare to Nigel.

"Back off!" the man snarled, pulling out a knife. "I will not hesitate to call the guards on you. Do you think I was born yesterday? Do you know how many fake ears kids have come in here with? Get out!" With his face red from boiling rage, Nigel stormed towards the door. He was stopped by one of the women. She told him to go to the fortune teller down the street; she would help him get in.

Nigel, although still raging mad, received a spark of joy that moment. He felt that he was finally getting somewhere. Not too far down the road, he found the fortune teller. Before he could enter, a girl skipped out of the door singing joyfully, "I'm young again, I'm pretty again, and I'm me again!" Taking a moment to ponder whatever the fuck he just saw, he entered the house.

The inside was peculiarly decorated. The house was one room, which was dimly lit by strange scented candles. A table of black candles sat on the side of the room while a table of skulls sat opposite. In the middle of the room stood a table, topped with a crystal ball of fog on a stand of bones. At the table sat a frail old lady. "Welcome, elder elf. I sense you must me about twenty-three years past a hundred, and a forest elf going apart from his journey for the legendary treasures of Nole to seek the purpose of Madame Yard's. You need my help to get in there, don't you?"

Nigel froze, undoubtedly stunned at the power of this woman. When he regained control of his body, he replied, "Yes, all of that is true."

"Well," she began, laughing, "how about you sit down and we'll began. Shall we?"

Nigel sat in the chair opposite of her. She raised her hands, completed with pale wrinkles and long nails, and muttered an incantation. Nigel began to feel light headed as the room dimmed and blurred. When he came to his senses once again, the woman had stopped her incantation and wore a grin, like that of a carpenter proud of his work. "Take a look, honey," she said, waving her hand over the crystal ball. "Do you like it?"

As she waved her hand over the ball, Nigel's face came into view. Only… it wasn't Nigel's face. He looked older now, with shorter hair and an increased jaw-size. Also, he had a subtle mustache and beard. Finally, he noticed his ears were the size of a normal man's, not that of an elf. _Of course_, Nigel thought. _This woman made me look like an older man so that I could get into Madame Yard's!_

"Thank you so much!" Nigel's voice was deeper now too. He threw almost all of the gold he had left down on the table and stood up.

"It was my pleasure, young man. Just come back when you want this change undone."

Nigel wasted no time getting back to the elegant building. He approached the desk and asked to get in for that day. The man bought the scheme one hundred percent and let him in on a one day free trial, which Nigel found extremely generous for a business in this city of heavy prices.

One of the young women at the stairs beckoned to him and lead him up the stairs. Nigel couldn't help but smile. Once in the room, she shut the shades and closed the door. Nigel found a full body mirror and looked at it to find that he looked impossibly more attractive than his past self (Nigel was a humble and honest person, too). Along with this mirror, the room contained a bed, a yoga mat, a table, and a couch. This, however, was not enough for Nigel to deduce the purpose.

"So," Nigel began, "I am a little unclear at what we do."

"Well," she spoke, her voice sing-songy and beautiful, "this is supposed to be ballet and yoga studio to ease tension in your nerves. But…" she paused pulling the hair tie out of her hair and sat on the couch, "I think you need relief of a different tension."

Nigel, at this point, had a vivid imagination. "First things first, you can call me Anna, or whatever else you want to." Her tone was seductive. Nigel, being deductive, could tell she was interested in him; this was lust not liking, Nigel decided. However, he didn't know if he was going to back down to this. He hadn't had much fun on his journey yet. However… he wanted to wait for Katie to do these things. He felt that this kind of thing from him belonged solely to her, and he wasn't giving that up.

Sort of reluctantly, he said, "I don't think I wanted this… so I'm gonna go." The woman jumped and latched onto his back before he could reach the door. He stumbled back, and they fell onto the couch. She ran her tongue up his neck before he could get off of her. By now, in his excited state he didn't want to get up. They made out for about five minutes while violently gripping and exploring each other before Nigel noticed how wrong this all was. He got up and left in haste.

The wind blew the curtains open, and Friday on the street below saw him. Although in his changed form, she recognized that he was Nigel and flew at him at top speed. "What are you doing!" She hit him many times and reversed the spell, giving his nineteen year-old look back.

"Oh…" the woman sighed. "You're younger than—"

"I am one hundred and twenty three, thank you very much. And I have a girl I owe this to: not you." Friday gave the woman a glare. "Friday, this was supposed to be ballet to calm the nerves, but she took it upon herself to come at me like this. I'm still loyal to Katie, ok?"

There was a moment of silence, as if Friday couldn't decide whether or not to believe him. "Fine…" she finally sighed. They left into the hallway but ran into a strong figure. It was the red knight he had seen earlier. The knight grabbed Nigel around the neck and lead him into the room down the hall. A woman was also there. Once in the room, the knight threw Nigel to the ground and shut and locked the door. He drew his sword.

"Not a soul could know that I was here!" the man shouted.

"Please," the woman pleaded, "no violence."

"This will be quick, Julie. This was our secret and has to remain our secret. If word got out that I did ballet, I'd be the fucking laughingstock of all of the City of Mercator. No… I won't be subjected to such a reputation." The knight approached Nigel, who had gotten to his feet now. "What you have witnessed must die here… with you!"

He swung at Nigel, who jumped back. Julie screamed. The knight took another swing, which Nigel parried. Having pushed his opponents sword far enough to the side, he punched the knight hard at the helmet, taking it clean off and sending it flying into the wall. When the knight went to thrust his sword at him, Nigel side-stepped and smacked the sword from his opponents hand. One more punch sent the knight flying back into the door and soon sinking to the floor. Nigel finished the duel by placing the tip of his sword to the sword-man's neck. Admitting defeat, the knight raised his hands in the air. His forest elf opponent kindly accepted his surrender.

"I'm sorry. You are a strong opponent, and the first challenger to beat me. I respect you." Accepting the knights apology, Nigel sheathed his sword, and gave his opponents back after helping him up. "You're quite the courteous winner, too. Thank you. May I have a name?"

Nigel hesitated for a moment, taking a seat on the couch in that room. "I'm Nigel of Maple. And you are?"

"I am Arthur," the knight answered "head of the castle guard and military commander to the Duke of Mercator."

"It is nice to meet you, Arthur. You can trust me with your secret, by the way."

"It's my pleasure, Nigel, and I guess that my reaction was stupid… I'm sorry but someone knowing about this just panicked me."

"I guess I can understand."

"Your counter-attack was nowhere short of courageous, strong, and heroic. Furthermore, I invite you to a banquet this evening at the palace. We have invited all of the strongest heroes known to us for a special quest. We'd be honored to have you as one of our valued mercenaries. Will you come?"

Nigel picked Friday up and placed her on his shoulder. "I'll be there," Nigel accepted.

"Thank you, Sir Nigel. Now, I really need to get back to the castle. I will see you tonight!" Arthur apologized to Julie and rushed out of the building and back to the castle.

Nigel smiled. "C'mon, Friday," he said joyfully, "we have a banquet to prepare for."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The companions returned to the inn. Nigel and Friday cleaned up on opposite sides of the bed: Nigel using a large metal tub and Friday using a bucket. Once they cleaned themselves, they cleaned their clothes of as much dirt as possible. "Maybe this will finally give you a lead on where to go, don't you think?" Friday asked her forest elf friend, breaking the long silence.

"Probably!" Nigel was overexcited. He probably had a lead, was personally invited to a royal banquet, and was proud of his defeat of Arthur, since his military rank was so high. After Nigel organized his bag, the clock tower on the castle wall rang for four o'clock. Friday rushed Nigel along out the door, for she was eager and excited as well.

They headed for the castle wall entrance. Before they got there, however, Nigel stopped. "They invited me, Friday. If they forgot to mention you, they might not let you in. Get in my bag, please?"

"Certainly!" she quickly agreed. "I wouldn't pass up my chance to get in the castle, now, would I?"

After she was secure in his backpack, Nigel headed finally for the guards at the gate. He stated his name and purpose, and they stepped aside. After a breath to take in this glorious moment, Nigel stepped inside. _I made it_, he silently marveled.

Inside the gates was a glorious garden. A man who must have been in his mid-sixties was tending to the garden. Nigel figured he'd explore a little before going inside. As he was exploring the west part of the garden, a blue ribbon drifted slowly to the ground at Nigel's feet. He picked it up and studied it, looking up at the tower to see where it came from. Unfortunately, he found no clues as to where it came from, so he opened his bag to tell Friday and put it away.

"Friday," the forest elf alerted her, opening the bag, "I found a ribbon. It fell from somewhere in the castle.

Friday looked Nigel in the eye with a glare. "Hmm, let me think… Oh! Maybe it was the girl I saw up there! Maybe she is trapped and trying to get a rescuer."

Nigel stopped and pondered this for a moment. Friday's idea made sense… but other than that, he came to realize it could be Katie. However, he had no reason to believe they would lock her up there. "Nah, I doubt it." He closed the bag and returned to the front of the castle. Taking a deep breath, he entered the big, golden-decorated doors.

Inside the huge castle, he was greeted by a parallel formation of guards with their swords drawn, creating a path forward for Nigel. An elderly man, who was nicely dressed and whom Nigel assumed was the butler, stood in between the lines of soldiers. "Welcome! Welcome, welcome to the castle of Mercator!" he greeted Nigel. They shook hands; Nigel was in the most disbelief he had been in all journey. "Please, come, Master Nigel, the duke and his other candidates await your arrival in the throne room.

The butler led the humble forest elf through a few hallways and staircases. The lines of soldiers on either side of them continued all the way to the final, big doors of the throne room. Four guards each grabbed on handle on the doors and pulled them open, revealing more heavily dressed guards making a path to two figures. Beyond these two figures, a man sat in a throne. Without a doubt, Nigel recognized this man as Duke Mercator (the duke was a steward set to keep watch on the kingdom until someone finally found the treasures and gained the crown to rule).

Nigel took his place in between the two figures. On his right was a fully suited knight in silver armor. Two his left, a gruesome looking beast stood. Nigel recognized him as a Drakonian, another elder race to the world. The intelligent races consisted of humans, bear men, elves, nymphs, dwarves, Drakonians, and warlocks. Not many warlocks had whereabouts known; they were the result of nymph males with especially strong magical influences. Almost none showed their faces in fear of mobs coming after them. Dwarves were on the planet long before any other race crawled from the grounds or descended from the heavens under the Goddess Gaia. Drakonians resembled a mix between dragons and elves. They were extremely tough and strong, but lived in piece, mostly on their own island southwest of the main continent. However, just like rogue elves, some Drakonians break off to explore the world on their own.

Out of the intelligent races, the elves, nymphs, warlocks, and Drakonians are considered elder races. The elder races are called so because they live well past two hundred years, almost twice as long as the other intelligent races. Drakonians lived to be approximately four hundred seventy, the elves and nymphs lived to approximately three hundred, and warlocks were limitedly immortal, being able to live forever unless death was inflicted upon them by others or themselves.

The duke stood, looking at his champions with a grin from ear to ear. "Welcome to my humble castle," he greeted them. "I have called you here as champions for my grand mission. You will act as my mercenaries, if you so please, for my army. I will explain more later, but for now simple introductions will do.

"Zak! You are the pride of Drakonia. In Maple, you are a famed bounty hunter. I am honored to have you in my presence.

"Dexter! You are a famed swordsman in the first elite squad of B'el-ar, just south of Mercator. It's a pleasure to have you here.

"Nigel! You come from Maple as a rogue elf. Your work in Ryuma will not soon be forgotten, and the peace you brought to Gumi and Massan will live long in this island's history. I bid you farewell until the dinner tonight, where I will announce your mission. For now, my maids will show you to your rooms. Thank you for coming here this fine evening." With this, Duke Mercator left. The maids came and collected their assigned champions. Nigel was stuck in a state of awe. The maid may have been talking to him on their way up to the guest quarters, but Nigel was too busy marveling at his surroundings: large, elegant paintings; enormous, crystal chandeliers; tempting furniture; hot maids; and even the shiny, marble floor that he walked on.

When he arrived in his room, he was greeted by an elegant bedroom fixed with a king bed, large wardrobe, and a large window with a view of the forested mountains that lied north. At this point, the poor forest elf who used to barely have enough to buy one meal per day was completely spoiled. After assuring the maid that he needed no more, he had his room to himself.

Then Nigel remembered Friday. He quickly retrieved his pack and undid the strap, setting the wood nymph free.

"Damn! I could barely breathe!" she exclaimed as she flew to the open window to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't chance it," Nigel retorted. "After what has already happened to you, I couldn't chance you getting taken away."

"Well, that's sweet and all… but there was no other way?"

"That was the only idea I had time to come up with just be happy you're here." He lied down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Soon enough he was consumed by thought again. _What happened to Katie? Where will I go to next? Will this… whatever it is give me a lead?_

"Still having issues?" Friday asked. Her tone surprisingly was concerned. Having fully recovered, the tree nymph now sat next to Nigel on the bed.

"No," he lied. "I'm just tired. Let's go explore a little."

"Already? Can't we just rest?"

"If you wanna stay behind then so be it." Friday got on his shoulder anyway and they exited the room.

In the hallway, Nigel ran into Dexter, who happened to be exploring as well; Zak had shut his door and locked it in this same moment. Friday had just enough time to slide down Nigel's back and hang on before she was seen.

"So, you're the one Mercator is talking about, aren't ya lad? Too bad Ryuma's hero will be shown up soon enough. The Duke was a famous swordsman in Gamoor, the sister land of Maple. I don't see much in you, boy, and honestly don't know what Duke Mercator saw, either. I'd have a duel with thee, if ye be up for it, to find out what it is about you."

"I'm sure the castle has a training room, and we have plenty of time before the banquet," Nigel found himself accepting. Sure, I'd be up for it. I recommend remaining all armored up though."

"And you will armor up as well?" Dexter's voice was, to Nigel's surprise, concerned.

Laughing, the forest elf replied, "It's unnecessary. Armor weighs me down, anyway. I'll see you in the castle guard quarters then." Nigel continued walking down the staircase while Dexter went back into his own room. Halfway down the stairs, Friday slapped Nigel hard enough to make her puny hand hurt noticeably.

"What was that for?!" Nigel inquired.

"It's for starting fights when we just got here! This could be a big opportunity. We're talking gold, jewels, fame, or maybe even a lead on where to go and what to do next. You're throwing that chance away by—"

I took down the castle guard head earlier today I think I can manage this guy, Friday. Just get back on my shoulder." They explored to the library and kitchen before finding the lodging for the guards. In the practice room, Dexter was waiting for Nigel while carrying on a conversation with Arthur. Two knights were practicing in the center of the room.

"Well thou actually showed up? You surprise me still, elf boy."

"That's unnecessary," Arthur scolded the swordsman. It was typical that Arthur was being nice to Nigel. After all, Nigel was keeping a secret for him, so he'd better receive kindness from the knight.

"Well let's get started," Nigel urged. He planned to dispatch his challenge quickly. The opponents drew their sword. Sparks flew off of the elf's magic sword of fire as it slid from its sheath. Dexter drew a sword made mostly of steel. The blade, however, had a core of gold and diamond tip, sharpened and strong for combat. The B'el-arian swordsman pulled down his helm's face-guard and took his stance; Nigel did likewise. There was a pause as silence drowned all in the room.

The silence broke with Arthur's cry, "En guard!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Their swords clashed. Sparks flew as Nigel's sword of fire clashed with the knight's steel. Dexter drew back to jab, but Nigel side-stepped and deflected the blow. It was in this moment the most peculiar thing happened: Dexter's diamond tip chipped right off of the blade, sending the shining tip to the floor. Nigel proved to be too much for the swordsman. Catching the knight in a daze as he stared upon his broken sword, Nigel kicked the blade from Dexter's hand. After rendering him all but defenseless, the elvish victor finished the duel with his tip, which was still in one piece, at the throat of the night. Dexter then raised his hands in surrender; Nigel had won.

"So… that is what the good man Arthur sees in ya, lad," Dexter said. "Thou has not only impressed me, but… thou has beaten me."

Nigel smiled. He never thought he'd be good at fighting an intelligent race. After all, he'd only ever fought beasts. The fact that he could more than easily manage pros such as Arthur and Dexter amazed and pleased him. "What can I say," the forest elf replied. "I didn't end up in this castle for no reason, did I?"

After helping Dexter up, the man and elf shook hands, something that was typically rare on the continent and some distant islands. Arthur, who had been speaking with a maid as Dexter and Nigel conversed, returned to them now, informing them the banquet was ready. Upon hearing this, the champions of Mercator headed off to the banquet hall together.

Zak was already sitting at the table and filling his plate with raw meat, a peculiar selection that the servants prepared only for him. The duke sat at the head and whispered to his butler. Nigel couldn't be too certain, but there was something odd about his composure. The duke almost seemed… distracted or stressed. Since it was only a feeling, Nigel put it aside and took his seat in between Zak and Dexter.

There were all sorts of dishes that the formerly poor forest elf had never seen before. However, the smells were elegant and extremely persuasive to him. Nigel piled his plate with an assortment of… well, just about everything there was. Dexter, who didn't have an eighth of what Nigel had collected so far, shot a weird look at the forest elf. Nigel looked back at him and shrugged before stuffing his face.

When everyone had filled themselves, Duke Mercator stood before them once again, as he had in the throne room. Nigel noticed that although the duke was a famed swordsman and steward of the island, he appeared rather scrawny and young, as if he was barely 30. He was also dressed in a heavily decorated suit that just screamed, "I'm wealthy." Back in Maple, Nigel would see him as a brat. In Nigel's opinion, no human could ever properly deal with wealth and power. It drove them mad with greed and arrogance. However, this man had generously welcomed him, along with Dexter and Zak, into the castle and fed them an expensive and elegant feast. So far, Nigel had a good feeling about this man.

"Good evening, my valued guests and champions, selected by me and my best men!" The duke must have shaken his mood from the beginning of the feast. Nigel didn't see or hear the stress in Duke Mercator's attitude now. "I'm sure you are all wondering why I brought you hear. I'm sure the people of this great city and maybe you as well are wondering why our taxes have risen and where their money is going. I'm sure those in my company lately are wondering why I am so stressed. Well, tonight you get the answers, as well as my rare cry for help.

"Not many know, but northwest of the city the evil wizard, Mir, lives. He keeps a hungry eye on our city. He demands so much money from us… and the poor people of Mercator pay it forward in their taxes. However, as time goes on and on, he demands more. Of course we can't stop in fear he will bring terror and destruction to our humble city, but one day we won't be able to provide… I've tried to send my own men upon him, but none return…

"No, I will not stand for this any longer, and nor will the good people of this city! That's why you are all here. If you accept, you will confront this dark and evil wizard. You are famed in varied places of the world, both near and far, for your skills in combat. This is why you have been chosen! So please, I beg of you… we need your help. I can explain more if you accept. So… will you accept? Will you rise to the challenge?"

"I'm dedicated to thou, my lord." Dexter was the first one to respond. "You are my idol, and I gladly accept this mission."

Zak laughed a gravelly sort of laugh. "You're so eager to serve him blindly, you imbecile. What is in it for us if we come back alive? What's the catch?"

"Yeah," Nigel agreed. "I was wondering the same."

"Well, another thing you all have in common besides being heroes is that you have all conveniently come to this island for the legendary treasures in the underground palace of King Nole. According to that legend, a lithograph explained that you must collect the king's jewels to get to the eye, representing the treasures. Now, one of these is the green Golan Emerald. I happen to be in possession of this jewel, yet I have no intention on pursuing such a far-fetched myth. Whoever returns with the purple jewel, which Mir keeps close by him, will receive this emerald as well, becoming two steps closer to these treasures."

Nigel and Zak thought for a few seconds. Nigel responded first. "I'm in."

"Me, too," the large Drakonian replied next, now standing with the Duke.

"Fantastic!" the duke explained. "Now, there is one more matter of business. The entrance to Mir's tower is not only guarded by the undead, but a magical barrier blocks the door. We happen to have an armlet locked up in a crypt beneath the city. Once when we tried to get to it, Mir had once again been one step ahead of us, guarding it with a vicious mummy that rules over all masses of evil. No man has come out sane or alive. Tomorrow morn, you will take on the beasts that lurk down below and retrieve this armlet. Once in possession of this, you may make your way to the tower.

"Also, I understand that this may become quite competitive. You will be allowed to race and fight. But mark my words, any killing or slaughter for this desire will land you with a price on your head between all ends of this world. Do you still accept?"

"Yes," they all responded at once.

"Marvelous! Now, let's make a toast, shall we?" The members stood up and raised their glasses, newly filled with red wine. "To peace," chimed the duke, raising his glass towards the center.

"To peace," the remainder echoed.


End file.
